Crisp portobello mushrooms add depth & earthiness to this rich & creamy farro risotto with fresh spinach.

Once you get a feel for the basic steps of sautéing the garlic or onions, toasting the rice, and adding in the wine and stock, a new world of options for this dish now open up. For example, most risottos use a short grain, white rice, but why not try something a little more interesting, like farro? That will really impress your guests!

Just in case you have never heard of or are unfamiliar with farro, it is an ancient wheat grain with a nutty flavor and chewy texture after it is cooked. Depending on what brand you buy, those in its whole grain state may need to be soaked overnight to break through its outer layer, while others (pearled or semi-pearled) are slightly scraped, which allow for a faster cooking time. For sake of time and higher nutrient levels, I choose Bob’s Red Mill semi-pearled version.

Now, that you have the grain selected, you can jazz it up your Creamy Farro Risotto any way you want. Add crispy roasted mushrooms, ribbons of spinach, or any other combination of flavors and textures you desire. You can even play around with using other grains if farro isn’t your thing OR if you have a gluten allergy and would like to use brown rice in its place. For our family, I had to consider our dairy, egg and nut allergy (as well as being Vegan) so I made this using veggie stock and, threw in some dairy-free butter at the very end and still enjoyed the nutty flavor from the grains and mushrooms. Like I mentioned, this recipe is very versatile. Check out www.GoDairyFree.com for Alisa’s Gluten-free & Vegan Risotto to take a peek at some other yummy options.

The one element that makes this dish extra special would be the roasted mushrooms. Of course, you can always throw the chopped mushrooms in the grains while its simmering but you lose a lot of the flavor. If you simply spread them on a baking sheet and throw them in the oven while the risotto is cooking, you’ll be much happier you did.

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Creamy Farro Risotto

Yield: 6 -8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Crisp portobello mushrooms add depth and and earthiness to this rich and creamy farro with fresh spinach added in at the last minute to add a layer of freshness and color.

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Ingredients

• 3 TB. coconut oil (olive or safflower will work)
• 1 TB. minced garlic (approx. 1 large clove)
• 1 C. dry farro
• 1/4 C. dry white wine
• 3 C. vegetable stock
• Course sea salt
• 12 oz. mushrooms, stems removed and trimmed into 1/4” slices
• Red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch spinach, stems trimmed

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 TB. oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook approx 1 minute, until the aroma starts to rise. Do not let burn.
3. Add farro and stir 1 minute, while it is toasting.
4. Add wine and let it reduce by half.
5. Add stock, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Stir occasionally. Cook 30 minutes then add in spinach and stir.
6. Continue cooking an additional 5-10 minutes, until farro is tender and creamy.
7. Season with salt and keep warm.
8. In the meantime, toss mushrooms with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper flakes. Spread mushrooms onto rimmed baking sheet and roast 10-15 minutes, until slightly crisp.Transfer creamy farro to serving bowl and line edges with roasted mushrooms.

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