This mushroom farro recipe takes chewy whole grains to new heights! It’s sautéed with garlic, fresh herbs, and parmesan.
When Alex and I started cooking together, we discovered it Faro. This chewy ancient grain is similar in texture to barley, but cooks much faster. We made a batch of farro with tender roasted veggies and bit into it. Hey, that’s really great!
Since then, we’ve been happy to cook up a portion as a healthy side dish or as part of a cereal bowl. But guess what? We think – no, we know! – we’ve discovered the most delicious way to eat farro! This mushroom farro is packed with flavors of salted mushrooms, garlic, thyme and fresh oregano. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan and well, it’s pretty heavenly.
Fancy more with mushrooms? Visit the best mushroom recipes: try creamy mushroom soup, sautéed mushrooms and onions, portobello burgers and more.
How to Make Mushroom Farro
This mushroom farro is incredibly delicious and a crowd pleaser. Mushroom haters could also be convinced here! Garlic, herbs and cheese are reminiscent of our fan-favorite mushroom pasta with goat cheese. (To be honest, adding a few dollops of creamy goat cheese would overdo this one!)
This recipe makes a healthy side dish and pairs well with baked salmon or cedar plank salmon. Or make it a vegetarian meal by adding some salads and cornbread. You can serve it at any time of the year. But for us, with the hearty whole grains and dark flavors of mushrooms, it’s perfect for fall and winter. It also makes a great Thanksgiving side or Christmas holiday meal!
Here are the basic steps to prepare this mushroom farro recipe (Scroll down for the full recipe):
- Cook farro (see below).
- Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté. Add chopped garlic and chopped herbs and sauté.
- Add cooked farro and lemon juice and cook until heated through. Stir in the parmesan. Serve immediately!
Note: Farro is made from wheat, so it’s not gluten-free. If you are gluten sensitive but want to make this recipe, it works well with brown rice or millet.
Cooking farro: two methods
Cooking the grain for this mushroom farro is very simple: and relatively quick! We like it Perlfarro cooks in just 15-20 minutes on the stove. You can also cook it in an Instant Pot. Here are our two methods:
- Cook: Put the farro in a saucepan with 3 times the amount of water and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer, then cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until spelled is tender.
- Instant casserole: Place farro, water, and kosher salt in an Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes and natural release for 7 minutes. With the “warm-up time” included, this method takes about 20 minutes total and is completely hands-free! Go to Instant Pot Farro.
To note: Types of Farro
You can buy whole, semi-pearlized, or pearlescent farro. We recommend purchasing Perlfarro for this mushroom farro recipe. Why? Perlfarro is the quickest to cook. It’s probably what you’ll find in the store too.
If you buy whole or half pearl, the advantage is that they contain even more nutrients (but the difference is not significant, so we choose pearl). To cook whole or semi-pearled farro a little faster, you can soak it for an hour or overnight to speed things up. Another recipe with spelled? Try our hearty spelled salad.
You understand! Grab a bag of farro.
This mushroom farro recipe is…
Vegetarian.
The description
This mushroom farro recipe takes chewy whole grains to new heights! It’s sautéed with garlic, fresh herbs, and Parmesan cheese.
- 1 ½ cups dry pearl farro or about 4 cups cooked
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 8 ounces mixed mushrooms (such as baby portobello, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms)
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh thyme and oregano, lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese or Roman pecorino
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Make the Farro: If you have a pressure cooker, use our Instant Pot Farro method. Alternatively, place the farro in a saucepan with 4 ½ cups of water. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and bring to a simmer. Bake until tender, 15 to 20 minutes (or about 30 minutes if using semi-pearlized farro).
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: chop the onion. Chop the garlic. Clean mushrooms, then cut into slices. Chop the thyme and oregano.
- In a skillet or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic, herbs and ¼ tsp kosher salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked farro and lemon juice. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the Parmesan or Pecorino and freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Serve immediately. (Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.)
Remarks
Note: Farro is made from wheat, so it’s not gluten-free. If you are gluten sensitive but want to make this recipe, it works well with brown rice or millet.
- Category: garnish
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: vegetarian
Keywords: Farro with mushrooms
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