Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto

Just arrived home from spending a week with my mom and sister’s family and I am feeling so thankful for our shared times of all being together.  Our vacation was filled with so many incredible meals and now that we’re home again,  I’m feeling renewed and inspired to be back in the kitchen.  I love eating out, especially when traveling since there are so many new places to experience, but I also love returning to the kitchen and being able to nourish the people I love.  There is no substitute for gathering around our own table in the quietness of our own home.

Risotto has always been a favorite of mine.  Not sure if it’s the luscious creaminess, the wine, or the multitude of ways in which it can be prepared, but to me risotto is the ultimate comfort food during the winter season.  Since trying to incorporate more whole grains into our meals, I’ve shied away from cooking it too often since it’s usually made with white arborio rice.  Making it with farro has been on my list of things to try and I just got around to finally trying it.  I’m so glad I did because I loved how this turned out so much that I don’t think I’ll ever go back to making it with white arborio rice again!  The farro slowly and almost magically turns rich and creamy as the grains soften and flavors meld.  It takes a bit of patience to gradually add the broth and stir, but like with any properly prepared risotto, patience always pays off in the end.  Stirring risotto can be a fun activity for guests to take turns with as they are mingling with hors d’oeuvres or sometimes I recruit my kids to stir as I try to encourage them to be a part of the meal preparation.  The stirring does not need to be constant, but it should be tended to frequently to avoid burning and the farro should never be allowed to dry out completely.  I think risotto often times has a bad reputation for being time-consuming and complicated,  but really it’s a relatively simple one-pot meal.  If you’ve never tried making it with farro, I hope you give it a try!

Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto

Ingredients

• 7-8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup farro, soaked 6-8 hours and drained
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 8 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup shredded cooked turkey or chicken, optional
• 1/2 -3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, simmer the broth and keep warm over low heat.
2. In a large pot or saute pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the farro and stir until evenly coated, but not browned, about 2 minutes.
3. Add white wine and stir until almost all liquid has been absorbed.
4. Ladle 3/4 cup of the warm broth over the mixture and stir occasionally until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add salt and pepper.
5. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, after each time liquid has been mostly absorbed, being careful not to let farro dry out. When about half of the broth has been used up, add the mushrooms. Right before the last 1/2 cup broth is added, add the spinach and turkey or chicken (if using). Farro is done when grains are tender and soft, but still slightly chewy. Total cooking time is about 40 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.