Ina Garten's Wild Mushroom + Farro Soup
If you’re a longtime follower of this blog, you already know that soup is one of my FAVORITE parts of the winter. There are so many varieties! There’s always some leftover! It reheats beautifully! This soup in particular is one of the coziest, most luxurious soups I’ve ever had.
It features woodsy porcini, smoky pancetta, and smooth Marsala wine, all of which contribute to a supremely rich broth. Hearty farro and assorted veggies round out the soup, turning it into a super filling meal that’s perfect for dinner or reheated for lunch the next day! I didn’t create it—that’s Ina Garten for you. But I did adapt it in a way that makes it easy for anyone to do basically any day of the week. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
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Wild Mushroom + Farro Soup
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten
Serves: 4-6 people
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
3/4 cup farro
3 tbsp olive oil
4 oz pancetta, diced
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine
4 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions:
Place the dried porcini in a small pot and cover with four cups of water: bring to a boil. Shut off heat, cover pot, and allow porcini to soak for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add pancetta and brown for 5 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and farro and sauté for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms and Marsala, and continue cooking for 5 minutes more.
Strain the porcini soaking liquid through cheese cloth or a coffee filter directly into the soup pot. Add the broth. Rinse the porcini under cold water, then coarsely chop them and add to the soup. Add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, bring soup to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Just before serving, mash butter and flour together and add to the soup. Swirl until combined. Add another tablespoon or two of Marsala wine if desired. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed (I find it sometimes needs a bit more salt!). Serve with parsley on top.
