Brussels Sprouts Soup

Ingredients

• ½ cup dry farro
• 2 large shallots
• 4 medium garlic cloves
• 1 inch nub ginger (1 tablespoon minced)
• 2 carrots
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 16 Brussels sprouts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 15-ounce can cannellini beans
• 8 cups (2 quarts) vegetable broth
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves or chopped spinach
• Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a saucepan over high heat, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add the farro, stir once, and continue to boil uncovered for about 15 minutes, bubbling rapidly. Taste a grain of farro; if the grain is plump and tender, remove the pan from the heat and pour it into a strainer. If not, continue to cook and taste until tender. Brands of farro can vary, so adjust the cook time as necessary.
2. Meanwhile, mince the shallots. Mince the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger. Peel and dice the carrots. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
3. Shred the Brussels sprouts: see How to Shred Brussels Sprouts.
4. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and saute for 5 minutes, stirring often so the sprouts don’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan. Drain and rinse the beans.
5. Add the farro, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce and stir. Add the beans and broth, then heat until warmed, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the greens and heat until wilted, about 30 seconds. Season with kosher salt to taste (add pinches until the flavor pops — since all broths have different levels of salt, the exact amount varies)