I’m feeling a little under the weather today, but it’s nothing a little Mushroom Farro Risotto can’t fix. Whenever I get a cold, I always tell myself I’ll take it easy, but I always end up cooking something extravagant for myself and kind of drowsily stirring a pot of some penicillin I’ve invented. This is how you know you love cooking. Feeling sick? Just cook some chicken stew. Feeling blue? Roast a whole chicken stuffed to the gills with butter. Tired? Nachos. Always nachos.
For me, all roads lead to the kitchen. I’ve loved good food for as long as I can remember. And I’ve loved cooking since I was old enough stir a pot. I still remember the first recipe I ever made (tomato soup with sherry), and I can’t forget waking up before my mom to make french toast and destroy the kitchen. At this point in my life I don’t have the attention to follow a recipe, and I hope you get there, too! But I love making them and sharing them in this space as a sort of log of what I’m eating lately.
I only recently discovered that any rice can become risotto. This includes farro! In this recipe we parboil it, reserving some of the starchy liquid and add it back to the risotto with white wine, lightly browned mushrooms, and thyme. It makes for the most delicious and simple dinner for two, but feel free to double it if you’re cooking for more! I love how tender the mushrooms are, and how a squeeze of lemon juice adds just enough bite. See the full recipe for Mushroom Farro Risotto Below.
*Note: If you’re using some sort of quick farro (like Trader Joe’s 10 minute risotto) you can skip the boiling beforehand.
- 1 cup farro
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- kosher salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- Add 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Add farro and turn the heat down to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the farro in a colander.
- In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring periodically, until the mushrooms begin to lightly brown. Add a pinch of salt.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter. Once the butter is melted, add the farro and stir to coat, cooking for a minute. Add the white wine and cook until the wine is evaporated.
- Turn the heat down to medium low. Add ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid and cook, stirring continuously until the liquid is absorbed. Add ¼ cup broth and cook, stirring continuously until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat, alternating the reserved liquid and broth until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and stir. Add the parmigiano reggiano and stir. Taste for salt. Serve immediately.
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