An impressive and hearty one-pot dinner soup! Packed with nutrients from cremini mushrooms & farro, as well as protein from Canadian bacon & beef broth.
Start by cooking pancetta, onions, carrots and celery until tender before adding garlic and farro. Next comes cremini mushrooms with their soaking liquid along with beef broth, thyme and salt for seasoning.
Ingredients
On chilly and cozy evenings when you want something warm and comforting, this mushroom soup is just the ticket. Reminiscent of mushroom-barley soup but made more nutritious by farro’s chewy texture and hearty flavor, the addition of dairy (creme fraiche and parmesan rind) adds creamy indulgence without added fat and sodium, creating an irresistibly nutritious soup that is ideal alone or served alongside some warm Italian ciabatta slices for serving!
Farro (emmer), is an ancient protein-rich ancient wheat with excellent long cooking capabilities, offering plenty of fiber, vitamin B and minerals as well as protein. When combined with mushrooms and beef broth for this dish, its combination provides an enjoyable, comforting meal while offering beneficial doses of zinc, B vitamin and selenium from its mushroom source alone.
Assemble all ingredients and begin by soaking the porcini. Pour boiling water over them in a small bowl; leave them to sit for five minutes and drain, saving the liquid. Chop and add to large pot, bringing to boil before adding farro; simmer covered until tender, around 20 minutes, then stir in creme fraiche and parsley before seasoning with salt and pepper and serving!
Vegetables in this soup are packed with vital vitamins and minerals. Cremini and porcini mushrooms offer plenty of vitamin D, potassium and magnesium; onions, carrots, celery and beef broth all provide plenty of fiber; while Canadian bacon provides protein.
This flavorful soup gains extra umami from using Parmesan rind, an essential pantry item. However, other cheese rinds (Parmasan, Ricotta or any) and even bits of ham or bacon may add depth and richness. Finally, adding sherry adds acidity that brightens up this hearty, nutritious dish that I will certainly be revisiting often!
Prep Time
An indulgent soup featuring toasty farro and fresh shiitake mushrooms that will quickly become your new wintertime go-to recipe! This hearty soup will become one of your family’s favorites.
This recipe may require slightly more effort than your typical Barefoot Contessa soup recipe, yet still takes less than 30 minutes to put together. Most of the prep time will be dedicated to rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms – something which should be straightforward.
While soaking the mushrooms, all of the remaining ingredients come together. Once everything is prepared, everything goes into one pot and simmers until both mushrooms and farro are tender and cooked through, before being finished off with a creamy finish from creme fraiche and Marsala that adds an irresistibly decadent touch without all those extra calories from heavy cream.
I must confess that I am not usually fond of mushroom barley soup; however, this version has quickly become one of my favorites! With farro providing its nutritious benefits and chewy texture in the broth as well as plenty of vitamins such as B and zinc from shiitake mushrooms for good measure – this dish truly delivers!
This simple soup makes a quick and filling weeknight dinner, and will act as the ideal base to incorporate any proteins or vegetables you have on hand into it. I added chicken for extra texture and satisfaction!
I can’t wait to make this again and experiment with various proteins. Poached eggs would add the perfect touch! The combination of textures and flavors make this dish one of my new favorites!
Mushrooms in this soup are an excellent source of selenium, potassium and vitamin D; farro is a nutritious whole grain packed with protein; beef broth provides additional nutrition; while Canadian bacon adds even more! Enjoy this warm soup on cold nights to stay cozy warm!
Cook Time
Homemade soup is the perfect comforting winter meal, yet canned varieties often contain excess sodium while homemade versions can take hours to cook. But this quick and easy version offers just enough umami-rich ingredients (browned mushrooms, soy sauce and Parmesan rind) for rich flavors otherwise taking hours of simmering to develop. Farro adds substantial texture while milk provides additional protein to create a hearty meal while lemon provides just enough tang to prevent this dish from being boring!
Mushrooms (including shiitake, oyster and porcini mushrooms) provide important vitamins B and K while Farro (also known as emmer) provides both fiber and protein. Meanwhile the beef broth and Canadian bacon provide iron while cheese offers essential calcium, vitamin D and magnesium.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot and saute onion, leek, carrots, and root vegetables until soft – about six to eight minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme and wine; cook until mushrooms begin releasing their juices – approximately five minutes more. Stir to combine before adding broth with chopped porcini mushrooms (if desired) and bring back up to boil before covering and reducing to low for 20-25 minutes or so to simmer the farro and vegetables to tender perfection!
Alternatively, barley may be substituted for farro in this recipe – be sure to soak the barley before adding it to the pot.
Just before serving, mash together butter and flour in a small bowl before stirring them into the hot soup. Taste, if necessary, adding additional tablespoons or two of Marsala wine as desired before garnishing with fresh parsley before topping each bowl off with poached eggs if you desire even greater heartiness! This delicious mushroom and farro soup recipe will satisfy even your cravings this fall or winter for comfort food.
Total Time
Soup can be one of the most comforting meals you can prepare, particularly on cold winter nights. This mushroom soup features nutritious vegetables, whole grain farro and fresh herbs – filling you up without all of the extra calories of canned soups while being quick and simple to make when time is of the essence!
Ina Garten begins this recipe by simmering wild mushrooms in water for 20 minutes before straining through cheesecloth and saving their liquid. Next she sautes onions, carrots and celery in another pan adding garlic and farro; when softened she adds chopped cremini mushrooms seasoned with Marsala for flavor. Finally she stirs in broth, herbs, salt and pepper as needed to finish off this delicious meal!
While your mushroom soup simmers, cook up some simple pasta. This is an ideal alternative if you don’t have any farro handy; barley could also work well. Once it has cooked through completely, stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 cup of milk to create an irresistibly creamy mushroom soup!
This nutritious soup is packed full of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Farro provides protein while onions and celery offer plenty of vitamin C; mushrooms add fiber while meat provides iron.
Farro, creamy butter, and fresh chives all play important roles in maintaining good nutrition. This mushroom soup would make an excellent cold weather meal when served alongside crusty bread or crisp bacon strips; add poached eggs for an oozy breakfast option! Your entire family will surely love this nutritious and flavorful soup recipe which can be created within 30 minutes!