Spinach and Mushroom Farro Risotto

Farro, which is also known as emmer in some parts of the world, is an ancient wheat grain that has been eaten for thousands of years around the world.  Farro is commonly found in Middle East, Ethiopian, and Mediterranean dishes.  I have no problems finding Farro in grocery stores in the United States, commonly found in the bulk food, health food, or rice sections of the store.

As part of a Whole Food, Plant Based (WFPB) diet, it is recommended that whole grains are consumed rather than highly processed grains, such as white rice and pastas. 

This makes Farro a wonderful substitute for Arborio rice, which is commonly used in risotto recipes.  Risotto has a wonderful creaminess from the starches that are released during the cooking process and I have found that with Farro, I am able to achieve a similar creaminess (when combined with my secret ingredient).

In my recipe, I use the Instant Pot (pressure cooker), but honestly, you can make this on the stove top as you would normal risotto.  The primary difference is that all liquid is added at the beginning with the farro rather than a little at a time with Arborio rice.  An added benefit, you don’t need to constantly stir the farro as you do the Arborio rice.

This recipe can be served either as a side dish or as an entrée.  Pair it with a nice red wine.  This makes for a (clear my throat) sexy meal.  Curl up on the couch, turn the lights down, and put on a romantic comedy.  You can thank me later (even I am blushing writing this)!

The ingredients are simple and there is very little preparation.

Ingredients

One shallot, chopped (about ½ cup)

Five garlic cloves, minced

3 ½ cups of vegetable broth

12 to 16 ounces of baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

6 to 8 ounces of washed baby spinach

1 cup of frozen peas

2 cups of farro (uncooked)

¼ cup of nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon of salt (I use pink sea salt)

2 teaspoons of granulated garlic

I recommend doing all chopping and measuring before the cooking process as it is surprising fast how quickly the steps in the process come.  Trust me on this one.  I usually chop and measure as I go along.  With this recipe, it is best to be prepared.

Steps

Set the Instant Pot to Saute (I apologize for the image quality of the pictures of the Instant Pot…not sure why that happened)

Put the chopped shallots, minced garlic, and ¼ cup of vegetable broth in the basin of the Instant Pot.  Stir constantly for about 90 seconds.  The garlic and shallots will sweat and start to caramelize while the broth evaporates.  If the garlic and shallots are too raw within those 90 seconds, add a splash of vegetable broth.  Total cooking time here is no more than 2 ½ minutes.

Add the cleaned and quartered mushrooms, salt, and granulated garlic to the Instant Pot with a ¼ cup of vegetable broth.  Stir to incorporate all ingredients together.  I like to let the mushrooms cook down for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the Instant Pot.

Add the 2 cups of farro and three remaining cups of vegetable broth to the instant pot. Stir all ingredients together.

Put the lid on the Instant Pot.  Set the vent to full sealing.  Use the manual setting with high pressure for 10 minutes.

Once done, keep the vent on full sealing.  After 5 minutes, release the vent (pressure).  Unplug the Instant Pot.

Open the lid to the Instant Pot, add the baby spinach, peas, and nutritional yeast.  Stir all the ingredients together.  The spinach will begin to wilt down and the nutritional yeast will help create the creaminess of risotto.

Put the lid on the Instant Pot and allow 10 minutes for the spinach to wilt and the peas to warm.

Open the lid, stir everything together, and then serve!  Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a sprig of parsley.  If you like it a little spicy, red pepper flakes do the trick!

I could not have been more pleased with the dish after watching both my wife and 11 year-old stepdaughter going back for more!  Start to finish, you have a wonderful (and sexy) meal in less than 35 minutes.

I hope you give this recipe a try.  Who knows, maybe it will become one of your go-to dishes.

Let me know how you like it if you give it a try.  I would love to hear your feedback!

Wishing you the best of health!

Stephen