Hearty Mushroom, Farro & Ginger Soup {Whole Grains Challenge}

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There are no “if”s, “and”s or “but”s about it – you have to make this hearty vegan Mushroom, Farro and Ginger Soup. The flavors are not to be missed! 247 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill for helping me to share this recipe with you.
Hearty Mushroom, Farro and Ginger Soup...This is a must-make recipes! 247 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. #vegan #vegetarian

Great job to all of our challengers on making it to Week 4 of the Healthy New Year 6-Week Challenge! Liz and I are excited that so many of you (over 600 now!) are sharing your experiences and asking questions on our challenge Facebook page. Come on over! It’s not too late to join. If you’re not here for the challenge, scroll down for this must-make soup recipe.

In the past weeks, we’ve covered hydration, exercise and portion control.

The Week 4 challenge is something that my family lives, breathes and eats every day: Adding Whole Grains.

Full Size Healthy New Year Challenge Graphic

Here is where I might insert a rags to riches/white bread to whole grains story, but to be honest, I grew up in a household where we only ate whole wheat bread (“brown bread” in Canada) and whole grain cereals.

As soon as they became available in the mainstream stores, my mum introduced us to brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and so on. Now the grocery store aisles are a whole grain lover’s paradise…brown rice of every variety, farro, freekeh, wheat berries, spelt. If you’ve ever checked out the section of Bob’s Red Mill products, you know what I mean. Just take a look at their range of whole grains. Your mind will be blown. So many to try, so little time!

Bob's Red Mill

There’s something about that nutty flavor and hearty texture, but that’s not the only reason that we love whole grains. If I had a dollar for every healthy benefit that whole grains offer…well, I’d go out and buy more of them!

Hearty Mushroom, Farro and Ginger Soup...This is a must-make recipes! 247 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. #vegan #vegetarian

Let’s start with the fiber. Look at the nutritional information of farro, buckwheat or any other whole grain and you’ll start to feel healthier just by holding the package. Not only can fiber reduce blood cholesterol levels, but it is has the awesome effect of making you feel full. So, if you’re working on portion control, including whole grains in your meals is a great way to go. Fill up on the fiber-filled healthy foods so that you are less likely to crave the so-called “empty” calories (in other words, the junk food).

Hearty Mushroom, Farro and Ginger Soup...This is a must-make recipes! 247 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. #vegan #vegetarian

Whole grains are also rich in iron and B vitamins. Whenever I check out my iron intake in the MyFitnessPal app, I am often low in iron. That’s my cue to work more iron-rich foods into my diet, and whole grains are a great place to start. One of the benefits of B vitamins are kick-starting the metabolism. As every birthday passes, I hear the gears of my metabolism grinding to a sluggish crawl. Bring on the whole grains, I say!

The recipe:

At the risk of patting myself on the back too enthusiastically, I have to say that this vegan soup is unbelievably good. It’s rich and earthy form the dried porcini mushrooms (found in the produce section of most supermarkets), hearty from the simmered, slightly chewy farro and comforting from the fresh ginger and soy sauce-laced broth. The rice vinegar and parsley add a hit of brightness to this satisfying soup.

And guess what? Just one cup of this soup contains 6.7 grams of fiber and 7.6 grams of protein. A power house of health!

If you are refrigerating any leftovers for the next day, the farro will soak up most of the liquid. So, just add some extra vegetable broth when reheating the soup.

Hearty Mushroom, Farro and Ginger Soup...This is a must-make recipes! 247 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. #vegan #vegetarian

Some of my favorite whole grain recipes include my Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa, Lean Bison & Barley Soup and Easy Cilantro Lime Brown Rice.

Be sure to head over to Liz’s blog to read about her take on whole grains and check out her amazing Freekeh with Tahini, Chickpeas and Pomegranate. Now that’s a recipe I need to try!

Instagram-button If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.

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Hearty Mushroom, Farro & Ginger Soup {Vegan}

Loading nutrition data...
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

There are no "if"s, "and"s or "but"s about it - you have to make this hearty vegan Mushroom, Farro and Ginger Soup. The flavors are not to be missed! 247 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 2 tsp olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, cut into half-circles
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 lb. crimini (baby Bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2/3 cup Bob's Red Mill farro
  • 5 cups vegetable broth*
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

Directions

  1. Place the porcini mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour the boiling water over top. Soak for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chops. Strain the liquid through a sieve set over a bowl. Reserve the liquid.
  2. Lightly coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
  3. Add the onion, carrots and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 3 minutes.
  4. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the saucepan. Add the crimini mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the porcini mushrooms.
  6. Stir in the farro and cook for 2 minutes. Add the reserved porcini mushroom liquid and vegetable broth, bring to a boil and simmer until the farro is tender, about 45 minutes.
  7. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and parsley. Serve.

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Recipe Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 4 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 6 (Points+)
*If you're watching your sodium intake, opt for low sodium broth.
When reheating the leftovers, add extra vegetable broth.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Comments

    • I feel the same way about farro, Anne-Marie. I would have used 5 types of mushrooms if they were stocked in my fridge…I can never get enough! 🙂

      Reply

  5. I love soup so much. I’d eat it every day but the family isn’t on board with that. This looks great! Very hearty and filling – love the flavor combinations.

    Reply

    • Thanks, Erin! Bob’s Red Mill has so many fantastic whole grains to offer. I hope you have a chance to try this soup.

      Reply

  14. Dara, I love this recipe!!! I can’t get enough farro right now!! I have a bag in my pantry and can’t wait to try this!! just printed the recipe!!! I’m going to make this either this weekend or next week for sure!

    Reply

    • LOL. Not wrong at all. That pot was passed down to me from my grandparents, who used it for MANY years to make curries.

      Reply

    • Hi Sue, unfortunately farro is not gluten-free. You could substitute with quinoa, though the consistency of the grain will be different. If you do use quinoa, be sure to cook it for less time. It should only take about 20 minutes once the quinoa is added.

      Reply

  33. Made this tonight for dinner, and I loved it! It is hearty, savoury, good for you, good to look at and different. Minus 27 today with the wind chill here, so this really hit the spot. Thanks!

    Reply

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