It’s soup time in Alaska. Well, anytime is soup time for me, but others like to wait until the weather is cold. Since it snowed about 4 or 5″ here yesterday, and the ground is still covered in snow, I thought it would be a great day for making soups.
I wanted to make a mushroom soup, and decided to add a farro wild rice mixture that I had. The soup is not spicy, and can really have the addition of any spices you might like. You might add a little basil, oregano, or thyme as it cooks. I only added a little dried dill to mine. This is a very hearty soup, even though it doesn’t contain any meat. I did use beef broth as the base though. It’s hearty, low fat, and will keep you warm and full for hours.
Mushroom Farro Soup
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced then chopped
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup faro, or farro wild rice blend
7 cups low sodium beef broth (you could also use chicken or vegetable broth if you prefer)
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1. Cover the dried porcinis with hot water and set aside to soak while you start the soup.
2. Heat oil in stock pot or dutch oven. Saute the onions and carrots until onions soften, abut 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for about another minute. Add the fresh mushrooms, and saute until they begin to release their moisture, 5-10 minutes. Add the farro, and the drained, chopped porcinis. Stir and cook a minute or two. Add the tomato paste, broth, dill and sherry. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat about 45 minutes, or until the farro is tender. Stir in the sherry vinegar.