Farro Risotto with Mushrooms and Herbs

This rich, warming farro risotto recipe features earthy mushrooms, tender farro grains, fresh herbs, and salty parmesan cheese. It's a nourishing main course or side dish during the colder seasons.

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Have you ever tried farro risotto (or farrotto)? It's a preparation of cooking farro like risotto: slow-cooking the farro in broth until tender and creamy.

My white bean risotto and zucchini risotto recipes use traditional grain varieties, like arborio rice or carnaroli rice. Conversely, farro is a whole grain with a nutty, chewy texture that still lends well to a hearty risotto!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's nourishing and hearty. This risotto-style dish is so warming. Using whole-grain farro offers a pleasant, hearty, and chewy texture.
• Delicious. The umami-rich flavor of earthy mushrooms, tender farro, fresh thyme, and parmesan cheese is a delightfully comforting combination!

Best of all, it doesn't require constant stirring, unlike traditional risotto! You simply add the broth and let the grains simmer until tender.

Looking for more delicious farro recipes? Try my quick Instant Pot farro, squash farrotto, or Mediterranean chickpea soup.

How to Purchase Farro

Purchasing farro is more confusing than you might expect. But here's what you need to know: for this risotto, I highly recommend purchasing a semi-pearled farro (or a 30-minute cook) for optimal cooking times and liquid absorption.

Timeless or Bob's Red Mill brands are great options.

Here are a few more notes worth reading before grocery shopping:

• Farro and spelt are different. Due to some confusing language translations between English and Italian, farro is sometimes referred to as "spelt." But the farro grains we are talking about are not spelt. Spelt grains take forever to cook and do not have the same flavor.
• Farro comes in whole (unpearled), pearled, and semi-pearled varieties. This is similar to whole wheat versus white flour, for example, where the bran and germ are removed.
• The "pearling" indicates how much of the bran is removed. Pearled farro takes the least time to cook, while unpearled farro needs an overnight soak and a longer cooking time.
• Not every brand labels the type of farro. Some brands simply say "farro" instead of pearled or semi-pearled. Okay, so how are you supposed to know how long your farro will take to cook, then?
• According to Smitten Kitchen, the label on the back of the package will indicate cooking times. Whole farro grains take at least an hour, semi-pearled farro takes around 30 minutes, and pearled farro takes 15 minutes or less.

Ingredient Notes

• Mushrooms: You can use any mushrooms you like, but I recommend a variety for the best flavor. I like using a mix of oyster, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms. For more details on purchasing, prepping, and cleaning mushrooms, check out my post on sauteed oyster mushrooms.
• White wine: Go for a dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
• Vegetable broth: You can use your favorite vegetable broth (I love Better than Bouillon's mushroom base). If you use bouillon, watch the salt in other parts of the recipe to prevent it from being too salty!

TIP: Using a standard vegetable broth? Here's a great way to add extra mushroom flavor. Bring the broth to a boil, add ½-ounce dried porcini mushrooms, and turn the heat off. Steep for 15 - 20 minutes, then remove the reconstituted mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Chop them up finely and cook them with the farro.

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.

How to Make Farrotto

Step 1 - Sear the mushrooms: Coat the bottom of a dutch oven with neutral oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add half the mushrooms.

Sear mushrooms, without touching, until they're nicely golden brown on the bottom. Stir and toss them, and cook until golden brown on all sides.

Step 2 - Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.

Over medium heat, melt the butter. Saute the garlic, onions, and thyme until softened. Add the farro in a single layer and saute until completely dried out, nicely toasted, and nutty in aroma.

💡 Testing Note: In recipe testing, we found that the caramelizing the mushrooms and toasting the farro added a rich, deep flavor to the risotto, so take your time with this step.

Step 3 - Simmer: Deglaze with white wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Once the wine has reduced, add the broth, soy sauce, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the farro is completely tender but still has a slight chew, about 25 - 35 minutes.

Step 4 - Finish and serve: Off the heat, stir in the cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover the pot and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving with a garnish of parsley, more grated cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Adjust the liquid as necessary. If you find the farro isn't tender and you're running low on liquid, add about ½ cup of extra broth at a time.
• Allow the risotto to sit for a few minutes. According to A Beautiful Plate's method for farro risotto, letting the risotto sit for 5 minutes after cooking ensures a creamier result.

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