This is a great healthy soup that my whole family enjoys. You can use any grain -- barley, farro (gluten-free), even quinoa, but I like freekeh because I know it has four times the fiber of brown rice and the nutty flavor is great.
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, cut into small cubes
2 TBSP grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, grated
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch of kale chopped
1 jar of white beans
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb. white mushrooms, shopped
1.5 cups of freekeh
6 cups vegetable broth
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TSBP rice vinegar
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in pot. Add the onion, carrots and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and cook for one more minute. Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and then add the mushrooms and cook until tender and brown about 3 or 4 minutes.
Stir in the Freekeh and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil and simmer until the Freekeh is tender, about 45 minutes. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and parsley. Serve.
For the Freekeh, we used a a brand called Freekehlicious, cracked freekeh. Beirut Garden also makes a good one, sold in larger packaging