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1
Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a deep cooking pot.
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2
Coarsely chop the onion, garlic, and celery. Add them to the pot and saute over a medium flame until the vegetables have softened. Stir frequently.
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3
Cut the chicken legs in half at the knee joint and add to the pot. Saute until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
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4
Coarsely chop the carrots and add to the pot. Add the 4 cups of water and let simmer over a medium flame. When it comes to a boil, turn down the flame and allow to simmer until the chicken has cooked through and the meat is falling off the bone, about 1 hour.
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5
Remove the bones and cut any remaining meat from them. Add the meat back to the broth and discard the bones.
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6
Chop the tomatoes into eighths. Snip off the ends of the beans and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Add both to the soup.
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7
Rinse the groats in cold water 3 times, or until the water drains away clear. Drain and then add them to the soup base along with 2 more cups of water.
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8
Add the spices and the olives.
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9
Cook, covered and over a low flame, for an hour before adding the salt.
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10
Add salt to suit your taste. Feel free to modify the vegetables and spices as well. I happen to like more cumin, and sometimes I add mushrooms at the very end. This is sort of an anything goes recipe. ;)
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11
Enjoy.
