A little bit of effort. A lot of reward!

Soup season is upon us, and this soup will not disappoint. It is vegan, but you will NOT miss the meat. I promise. I am not a vegan at all - I love my meat and my dairy - but sometimes I like to sneak an all vegetable meal into our rotation to feel healthier and to balance out all of the baked goods.
This recipe was created on a very Seattle style day. It was dark and gloomy all day long, and the rain showed up with a vengeance.
I needed something warm and flavorful that would leave me satisfied and full.
I've been playing with farro a lot lately, so I knew that was going to be a main ingredient in the soup. I love how it adds texture and depth, and has a milder flavor than barley, so it wouldn't over power the vegetables. I new I wanted a sweet potato or squash for additional flavors and textures, and ended up with sweet potatoes, but squash would work just as well.
I didn't want the soup to be overly sweet, and I didn't want my husband to miss the meat. Luckily, I was recently introduced to Yondu, an all-natural savory seasoning. I really enjoyed how it elevated the overall flavor, and complimented all of the vegetables in the soup.
🏷 Keywords: #vegetables #soup #vegetarian
🏷 Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
2TBSP Olive Oil
1TBSP Dried Thyme
1tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2tsp Onion Salt
1 Medium Sweet Onion, Chopped
3tsp Kosher Salt
1tsp Freshly Cracked Pepper
1TBSP Garlic, Minced
1 Large Carrot, Diced
1 Celery Stalk, Diced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Diced
4 Brown Crimini Mushrooms, Minced
28oz can of Diced Tomatoes
3c Vegetable Stock
1 Sweet Potato, Diced
3/4c Farro
6tsp Yondu
1/2tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Zucchini, Diced
2c Kale Chopped
Directions
Heat a heavy bottom pot or a 6qt dutch oven over medium-high heat
Add olive oil, dried thyme, onion salt, and red pepper flakes
Bloom spices in oil for about 2 minutes
Add onion, salt and pepper, and sauté until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes
Add celery, carrots, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté for another minute or so, until slightly soft
Add 28oz can of diced tomatoes and 3c of Vegetable stock. Stir to combine
Add farro, sweet potatoes, and Yondu. Stir to combine
Reduce heat to low and cover for about 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally to ensure farro doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan
At this point, the farro should be slightly toothy. If it is still very tough, continue cooking on low for another 10 minutes
Add Worcestershire and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat
Add the diced kale about 3 minutes before serving
Serve warm on a cozy fall day!
Enjoy!