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Mushroom Farrotto

Name: Mushroom Farrotto
Prep time: 30
Cook time: 65

(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

30 min prep

4 servings

Carrot Icon for Number of Ingredients Size

14 ingredients

You may be familiar with risotto, but have you tried farrotto? Farro is a form of wheat, often used in Mediterranean salads and in place of rice, as in this dish. Farrotto doesn’t require...

2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in 3 cups of boiling water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cups farro, rinsed, soaked overnight and drained (see Chef Tips)
1 lemon, juiced and mixed with ⅓ cup water
1 cup water or vegetable stock as needed
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 large sprig of fresh
1 lb baby bella or portobello mushrooms, cut into ¼ “ slices
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

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Nutrition Facts

Calories

537 cals

Fat

16 g

Saturated Fat

4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

3 g

Monounsaturated Fat

9 g

Carbohydrates

88 g

Sugar

14 g

Fiber

15 g

Protein

22 g

Sodium

181 mg

Directions

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms for 30 minutes while you prep the vegetables. Drain the mushrooms and reserve the soaking water. Strain the soak water through a fine sieve (see Chef Tips). Set aside. Take the soaked mushrooms, discard the woody stems, and roughly chop. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over a medium high flame. When it shimmers, add the onion, celery, and carrot. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the drained farro. Cook until the juices in the pan are absorbed. Add the lemon-water mixture and mushroom soaking water, and cook until the farro is "al dente" — tender but still a little chewy — and the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. If the farro is dry but still underdone, add the additional water or stock, ¼ cup at a time.
Meanwhile, in a saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and thyme. Saute until the shallots start to color, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped dried mushrooms, cook 1-2 minutes, then add the sliced fresh mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and cook until they wilt, about 5-8 minutes. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let the mushrooms steam for 5-10 minutes or until the farro is cooked.
Stir in the sauteed mushroom-mixture and all its juices into the cooked farro. Stir the grated cheese, if using. Taste for salt. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Chef Tips

For a vegan or dairy free version, simply leave out the cheese.

Soaking farro overnight helps it to cook faster and with less liquid. If skipping this step, just add another 10-15 minutes to the cook time in step 3.

If farro is not available, use short-grain brown rice. In step 3, add 1 1/4 cups stock instead of 1 cup. Check for doneness at 30 minutes as it may need up to 10 minutes more to get al dente, especially if not soaking prior to cooking.

The reserved mushroom soaking water makes a flavorful broth, but because of the sand and grit that gets caught in the gills of the mushrooms, it needs to be strained before use. If a fine sieve is not available, use a sheet of paper towel and carefully pour the soaking water through it. Squeeze out any the liquid caught in the towel back into the rest.

Registered Dietitian Approved

Our recipes, articles, videos, and more content are reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society.