Mushroom and Farro Soup

Mushroom and Farro Soup with tender pieces of beef| girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Filled with chewy farro, aromatic mushrooms and tender bits of beef, Mushroom and Farro Soup is guaranteed to warm you up on the coldest days of the year. 

Mushroom and Farro Soup from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Winter, I have a bone to pick with you!

First you tease us with signs of a mild few months ahead, perhaps saying ‘hey, I’m going to give you a break from that igloo I dumped on you last year.”  Then mid-January hit and it all went down from there, the blizzard that never was came and went and sent the city into a tailspin buying up all the kale.  After that more snow on top of the already dirty and ice covered snow.

Guess what’s in the forecast for next week? Three. More. Days. Of Snow.

I get it, it’s winter we are supposed to get snow.

I’m not anti-snow, the first one is already pretty but after that? Go away.

I live in a city, with cars and millions of people walking upon it everyday, it gets grey and muddy and slushy and gross very quickly.  I won’t even get started about the people who refuse to shovel or just do a path as wide as their shovel on the sidewalk.

Mushroom and Farro Soup Mise en Place | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Since it looks like it will continue to be a long winter ahead (I mean really, what did you expect the groundhog to see when it was snowing?), there is only one answer to attempt to keep warm.

Continue eating the soups.

If you are going to have any of them, you might as well have one of the mother of comfort food soups in mushroom barley, except I thought I’d reinvent the wheel slightly with chewy farro.

I did have to chuckle at myself as I was making this batch up because as a kid I just wouldn’t touch this soup.  It had a familiar place in my home and always smelled amazing but tasted too much like mushrooms to get over my dislike for it.  I’m glad those days are over and I can appreciate that earthy flavor.

Of course I feel the real secret to this soup is homemade beef stock, it’s a long extra step but well worth it, as you get those long cooked meat chunks from the stock to add into the soup for a complete meal.   Want to keep it completely vegetarian free? Just simmer some homemade vegetable stock and amp up the mushroom factor.   Don’t have the time or desire to make stock but want the beef? I think boneless short ribs would do the trick but just plan on simmering the soup for about 2 hours until they are tender and start to fall apart.

Mushroom and Farro Soup with tender chunks of beef | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Mushroom and Farro Soup
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Ingredients

  • 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch dice
  • 1 large leek, white parts only, sliced and cleaned
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 6 cups beef stock (homemade is best - optional: vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)
  • optional: 1 pound boneless short ribs or cooked beef chunks from homemade beef stock
  • 1 cup dry farro, cooked according to the packages directions.

Instructions

  1. In a dutch oven over medium heat drizzle 1/2 tablespoons avocado or grapeseed oil and saute the carrots and leeks until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent the leeks from burning. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  2. Add the mushrooms and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook your mushrooms about 6-8 minutes or until they begin to cook down and release their natural juices.
  3. Add in the thyme sprigs and white wine to deglaze the pan.
  4. Pour in the beef or vegetable stock and season again with kosher salt.
  5. If you are cooking the short ribs in with the soup, season with salt and pepper and add when the stock comes to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to cook for about 2 hours or until the short ribs are tender and fall apart easily.
  6. If you are using beef from homemade stock add it in after the soup comes to a simmer, and then add the cooked farro. Simmer everything until it is heated through, taste and season again if needed.
  7. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread.
  8. Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe Type: Soup
https://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com/2015/02/mushroom-farro-soup/

 Mushroom and Farro Soup | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

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13 thoughts on “Mushroom and Farro Soup

  1. Julia Olsen

    Gosh, it looks delicious! It’s a must try for me! Yum!
    I’m cooking on youtube and I’ve just uploaded a recipe for homemade lasagna, hope you will check it out! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Kim Beaulieu

    Oh man, I hear you on the snow being annoying. You think living in Canada that I would be used to it by now. But driving in it is just the pits. Luckily our area has pretty good snow removal. Makes all the difference in the world.

    I have never tried farro in soup. I have no idea why not, just never occurred to me. I am now going to try it. Asap. This soup looks so hearty, and like a big bowl of comfort. I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  3. Lauren @ Healthy Delicious

    This winter is seriously the worst. I don’t remember it ever being so cold for so long. And you’re totally right about November and December being super mild. I guess we should have gotten the hint from the Thanksgiving snow storm, huh?

    This soup looks like a great way to keep warm. I’ve been huge into farro lately and you can never go wrong with mushrooms. Such earthy flavors!

    Reply

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