Wednesday 25 September 2019

Farro with Mushrooms

This farro with mushrooms recipe takes the chewy whole grain to a new heights! It’s sauteed with garlic, fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.

Farro with mushrooms

When Alex and I first started cooking together, we discovered farro. This chewy ancient grain has a texture similar to barley, but it’s much quicker to cook. We whipped up a batch of farro with tender roasted vegetables and took a bite. Hey, that’s actually really good! Since then, we love cooking up a batch as a healthy side dish or as part of a grain bowl. But guess what? We think⁠—no, we know!⁠—we’ve discovered the most delicious way to eat farro! This farro with mushrooms is bursting with flavor from the savory mushrooms, garlic, and fresh thyme and oregano. Add a spritz of fresh lemon juice and some grated Parmesan cheese and well, its pretty heavenly.

Farro with mushrooms

How to make farro with mushrooms

This farro with mushrooms is incredibly flavorful and a total crowd pleaser. Even mushroom haters might be convinced here! The garlic, herbs, and cheese are reminiscent of our Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese, which has become a fan favorite. (To be honest, adding a few dollops of creamy goat cheese would send this one over the top!)

This recipe works as a healthy side dish and would work well alongside baked salmon or cedar plank salmon. Or, make it into a vegetarian meal by adding a few salads and cornbread. You can serve it in any season. But to us with the hearty whole grain and dark flavors in the mushrooms, it’s perfect for fall and winter. It also actually work great as a Thanksgiving side dish or for a holiday dinner at Christmas!

Here are the basic steps on how to make this farro with mushrooms recipe (scroll down for the full recipe):

  • Cook the farro (see below).
  • Saute minced onion in olive oil until translucent. Add sliced mushrooms and saute. Add minced garlic and chopped herbs and saute.
  • Add the cooked farro and lemon juice and cook until heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately!

Note: Farro is made of wheat, so it is not gluten-free. If you have sensitivity to gluten but want to make this recipe, it would work well with brown rice or millet.

Pan of cooked farro

How to cook farro: 2 methods

Cooking the grain for this farro with mushrooms is very easy: and relatively quick! We love that pearled farro cooks in only 15 to 20 minutes on the stovetop. You can also cook it in an Instant Pot. Here are our two methods:

  • Stovetop: Add farro to a saucepan along with 3 times the amount of water and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a low boil, then cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the farro is tender.
  • Instant Pot: Add farro, water and kosher salt to an Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes and natural release for 7 minutes. With the “preheat” time, this method takes about 20 minutes total and is fully hands off! Go to Instant Pot Farro.
Farro with mushrooms

A note: types of farro

You can buy farro as whole, semi-pearled, or pearled. We recommend buying pearled farro for this farro with mushrooms recipe. Why? Pearled farro is the quickest to cook. It’s also likely what you’ll find at the store. If you do buy whole or semi-pearled, the advantage is that it contains even more nutrients (but the difference is not significant, so we go with pearled). To make whole or semi pearled farro cook a little faster, you can soak it for an hour or overnight to speed things up.

Get it! Grab a bag of farro.

Farro with mushrooms

This farro with mushrooms recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Farro with mushrooms

Farro with Mushrooms

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  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 as a side
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Description

This farro with mushrooms recipe takes the chewy whole grain to a new heights! It’s sauteed with garlic, fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dry pearled farro or about 4 cups cooked
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 8 ounces mixed mushrooms (such as baby portabella, shiitake, and oyster)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh thyme and oregano, loosely packed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the farro: If you have a pressure cooker, use our Instant Pot Farro method. Otherwise, place the farro in a saucepan with 4 1/2 cups water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and bring to a low boil. Cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes (or about 30 minutes if using semi-pearled farro).
  2. Meanwhile, prep the vegetables: Mince the onion. Mince the garlic. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Chop the thyme and oregano.
  3. In a saute pan or skillet, heat the olive oil to medium heat. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked farro and lemon juice. Cook for about 2 minutes until heated through.
  4. Stir in the Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and fresh ground pepper. Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Serve immediately. (Leftovers store refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

Notes

Note: Farro is made of wheat, so it is not gluten-free. If you have sensitivity to gluten but want to make this recipe, it would work well with brown rice or millet.

  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keywords: Farro with Mushrooms

Looking for more side dish recipes?

If you like this farro with mushrooms, here are some more healthy side dishes you might enjoy:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, Vegetarian Recipes



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