Winter Minestrone Soup
You can use most any vegetables lingering in your fridge to make this soup (although we might skip broccoli and cauliflower). It's great with a can of white beans thrown in, too. The hearty kale stands up to the wheat berries, but you can use almost any green. You can also use barley in place of the wheat berries. Look for wheat berries next to the grains in the supermarket.
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 red or white onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
4 ounces finely chopped shaved deli ham
3 cups water
3 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup wheat berries, rinsed
1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil
4 toasted pita breads
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onions, celery, carrots and ham. Saute 10 minutes. Add water, broth, wheat berries, cheese rind, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until wheat berries are tender. Stir in tomatoes and kale; cook until throughly heated. The longer the soup sits with the cheese rind the stronger it gets. Serve with toasted pita bread. Makes 16 cups.
Relish, January 2009, p. 4.
