Description
Ina Garten’s mushroom farro soup delivers hearty Mediterranean comfort with rich umami flavors and wholesome grains. Delicate mushrooms and earthy farro create a luxurious blend you’ll crave on cool evenings, promising warmth and satisfaction in each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 quart chicken, turkey, or beef stock
- ¾ cup pearled farro (5 ounces / 142 grams)
- 12 ounces (340 grams) fresh cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems discarded, ¼-inch-sliced
- 1 ½ ounces (43 grams) dried wild mushrooms (such as morels or porcini)
- 4 ounces (113 grams) pancetta, diced
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 3 cups chopped yellow onions (approximately 2 onions)
- 2 cups peeled carrots, ¼-inch-diced (approximately 3 to 4 carrots)
- 2 cups celery, ¼-inch-diced (approximately 3 to 5 stalks)
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
Finishing and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 3 large sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces (113 grams) crème fraîche
- ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Hydrate dried mushrooms by combining them with of water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 20 minutes to release intense earthy flavors.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and render pancetta until it begins to crisp. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery, sautéing over medium heat for 10 minutes until vegetables become translucent and soft.
- Introduce minced garlic and farro to the vegetable mixture, stirring continuously for 2 minutes to toast the grains and release their nutty aroma.
- Incorporate sliced cremini mushrooms and of Marsala wine. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing mushrooms to release their natural moisture and concentrate their flavor.
- Carefully strain the soaked dried mushrooms through a cheesecloth, reserving the rich, aromatic liquid. Roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms and return them to the pot along with the reserved liquid, chicken stock, fresh thyme sprigs, salt, and black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook partially covered for 45 minutes, ensuring the farro becomes tender and the flavors meld together. Remove the spent thyme sprigs.
- Create a smooth thickening agent by mashing flour and butter into a paste. Stir this mixture into the hot soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Finish by incorporating crème fraîche and the remaining of Marsala wine. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve piping hot, offering a comforting and robust soup perfect for cool evenings.
Notes
- Create a smoky depth by gently toasting dried mushrooms in a hot skillet before soaking them in water.
- Strain mushroom soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any gritty particles that might affect soup texture.
- Dice vegetables with precision to ensure uniform cooking and balanced flavor distribution throughout the soup.
- Select extra virgin olive oil with robust, fruity notes to enhance the overall mushroom soup complexity.
- Prepare a roux by whisking flour and butter until completely smooth, eliminating any potential lumps before incorporating into the soup.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg