Creamy Farro and Mushroom Soup
This post is in partnership with Undeniably Dairy.
During fall and winter, hearty soups hit the spot nearly every night.
The trouble is that canned soups tend to be loaded with excess sodium, and homemade soups often take hours and hours to make.
You won’t run into either problem with this Farro and Mushroom Soup, which is filled with nutrient-dense ingredients and requires minimal kitchen time. Farro is also a perfect grain for soup, since it’s dense, chewy texture as well as the protein from milk adds real substance to the dish, making it feel more like a filling meal.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 12 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 (14) ounce can low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup Italian pearled farro
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup whole milk (or fat level of choice)
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, carrot, celery, onion, mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until vegetables release juices, about 3 to 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add broth, water and farro; bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and Farro are tender, about 25 minutes.
- While broth is simmering, combine together 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 cup whole milk. Remove soup from heat and stir in the cream mixture. Enjoy warm!
WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
Farro (also known as emmer) is an ancient grain that is high in protein and fiber, making this soup hearty enough to be a main dish. The addition of dairy provides additional nutrients, including more protein and that craved creaminess without going overboard, and it provides three of the four critical nutrients most people often lack in the Americans diets: calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Mushrooms add vitamin B, zinc, and selenium.