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Looking to cultivate cozy with some soup recipes? This farro and Brussels sprouts soup is bursting with flavor and colorful veggies to boost immunity.
Some people are winter people. Though I was born and raised in the cold hard north (Minnesota), over time I’ve become a softie. My beef with the season: navigating the snow, shivering even indoors, itchy dry skin, wearing socks, and being forced to drive everywhere instead of walk. Last year I almost cried with joy the first day I could wear flip flops. Summer has a feeling of carefree that lifts my soul and try as I might, that feeling just is not there in winter. But, I’m not ready to give up hope. Keep reading for how to make it through the winter, and this Brussels sprouts soup recipe.
One of my dear friends is a winter person: Melissa of The Faux Martha. She loves snow, tea by the fire, and the slower pace. She sees the beauty in the quiet still moments. She knows how to cultivate cozy like the heartiest of Minnesotans. We chatted with Melissa on our podcast about how to thrive in winter. There was a lot of talk about warm beverages, fuzzy blankets, cozy soup, and good books. Though it’s not natural for me, I’m trying to reframe my brain this year. Cultivate cozy. More soups. Hot tea. You can do this.
How to make Brussels sprouts soup
This is the heart behind this Brussels sprouts soup recipe, a cozy winter soup full of nourishing vegetables. Brussels sprouts are one of our favorite vegetables, but we’d never tried a Brussels sprouts soup. Here, we’ve shredded them and added them to a soup pot along with the other star ingredient: farro. Farro is a whole grain that’s a bit like barley, but cooks in about ⅓ the time, which significantly speeds up the prep time. (But if you love barley, here’s a classic Mushroom Barley Soup.)
For this Brussels sprouts soup, the farro is cooked outside of the soup, then added right before serving. For the flavoring: a bit of shallot, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, which adds a savory, unexpected flavor. And what’s a soup without a bit of greens thrown in at the end? We’ve taken to adding a handful for color and nutrients. Brussels sprouts soup might sound unexpected, but it’s exactly what we’ve been craving to boost immunity and get our cozy on.
Tips for cultivating cozy this winter
What are you doing to cultivate cozy this year? Here are a few of our top tips for cultivating cozy:
- Drink tea. A lot of it! It’s healthy and warming. (My favorite blend is Bengal spice: I’m obsessed!)
- Eat soup. Soups are healthy, typically simple to make (and easy to double), and seriously cozy. This Brussels sprouts soup and our Moroccan cauliflower soup are a few favorites; we’ve listed a few others below.
- Light candles. It’s makes your house smell good, and of course brings twinkling ambiance.
- Use fuzzy blankets and pillows. We got a few more this year, and I must say: they definitely take the edge off.
- Put up twinkle lights. Adding some to our third floor attic space brightened it up in the sweetest of ways.
- Read good books. Alex and I are both in a book club, and we just read The Handmaid’s Tale. I found it to be an excellent book, genius and thought-provoking, and gave it a double thumbs up, the highest of honors in our book club ranking system. This month’s book is a novel called Sourdough. (What are you reading?)
What else? We’d love to know what you’re doing to thrive this winter season.
This farro & Brussels sprouts recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and sugar-free.
Farro & Brussels Sprouts Soup
Looking to cultivate cozy with some soup recipes? This cozy farro and Brussels sprouts soup is bursting with zesty flavor and colorful veggies to boost immunity.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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 (or this substitute)
- 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
- 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.
- Meanwhile, mince the shallots. Mince the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger. Peel and dice the carrots. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
- Shred the Brussels sprouts: see How to Shred Brussels Sprouts.
- 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.
- 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).
Looking for more soup recipes?
Looking for some soup recipes in addition to this farro and Brussels spouts soup? Here are a few cozy soup recipes to have you covered:
- Tortellini Soup with Basil
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup Recipe
- Cauliflower Soup with Moroccan Spices
- Tomato Sage Chickpea Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Hearty Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
- Creamy Coconut Curry Pantry Soup
- Golden Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup
- Red Lentil Soup
- Vibrant Spring Green Soup
- Green Pea Soup with Chive Flowers
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Tuscan Soup with White Beans
- Tomato Artichoke Lentil Stew
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
My mouth is watering just reading s out this soup! ? it’s not all that cold here in Atlanta …yet!!!!
Loved this so much for my suppers last week, that I am making it again today. So nourishing and filling.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it!!! Thank you for letting us know and so glad it’s a keeper!
Made this for dinner tonight, Sonja, and it was delicious! I wish I’d used homemade broth instead of store bought, but I was out (oh well). I felt like it needed a lot of salt at the end, but I probably should have been seasoning more throughout than I was. I ended up salting with a regular salt and a mushroom salt. We also sprinkled on a little vegan “parmesan” to garnish.
This is definitely something I’d make again. I loved that it was chock full of things you don’t always find in soup. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Mushroom salt? WOW! And I love the idea of Vegan Parmesan to garnish (we just created a recipe for it that we will share soon)! THANK YOU so much for this feedback!
Oh this soup looks BEYOND cozy! Perfect way to take the winter edge off. I like the use of farro as a more complex carb element as well. Will be making before it gets warm! xo
Oh thank you! We love using farro instead of barley since it cooks so quickly. And it’s tasty too!
Oh yum! Looks delicious!