
I recently got back from a 3 week vacation to London that was the trip of a lifetime. One of my favorite things I ate there was a wild mushroom risotto that was truly incredible. I was craving it when I got home, and this wild mushroom farro was born!
The risotto this dish is based off of is sold in Borough Market in London. They have a massive pan of the risotto and of mushrooms. You wait in line, they give you a big scoop of risotto, top it with a lot of cooked mushrooms, then finish it off with a bunch of parmesan and fresh chives. It is warm and creamy and is as delightful as it sounds.
The risotto in London is made with spelt, which is a type of wheat. However, spelt is really hard to find in the US so instead we are using farro. Farro is also a type of wheat and is quite similar to spelt, so it is the perfect substitute here. They both have a hearty flavor and a nice chew which makes this dish amazing.
ingredients needed for wild mushroom farro
farro
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups farro
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup parmesan
mushrooms
- 2 tbsp butter
- 16 oz mushrooms, sliced
toppings
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan
how to make wild mushroom farro
This farro has a couple moving parts, but is honestly not that hard to make! Plus everything cooks at the same time so it comes together in a little over 30 minutes.
- Start by dicing the onion, mushrooms (for the farro), and garlic.
- Add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, until mostly cooked down.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the farro and let it toast for 1-2 minutes. Then add the vegetable broth, cover, and turn the heat to low. Let it cook for 20-30 minutes, only stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the liquid has all evaporated.
- While the farro cooks, prepare the mushrooms: Wash and slice the mushrooms. Add the butter to a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7-9 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked through and any liquid has evaporated.
- When the farro is finished, add the parmesan and stir until the cheese is melted.
- To serve, scoop the farro into a bowl. Top with mushrooms, fresh chives, and parmesan. Enjoy while it’s warm!
other recipes you will love
- caramelized onion braised short ribs
- pesto honey grilled cheese
- slow roasted citrus salad
- butternut squash, kale, and farro salad

wild mushroom farro
ingredients
farro
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups farro
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
mushrooms
- 2 tbsp butter
- 16 oz mushrooms (any kind will work — i like a mix of portabello and baby bella) sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
toppings
- 1/2 cup fresh chives chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan
instructions
- Dice the onion, mushrooms (for the farro), and garlic.
- Add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, until mostly cooked down. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the farro and let it toast for 1-2 minutes. Then add the vegetable broth, cover, and turn the heat to low.
- Let the farro cook for 20-30 minutes, only stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the liquid has all evaporated and the farro is cooked through (if the farro is too al dente when the liquid cooks off, add more vegetable broth and continue to cook).
- While the farro cooks, prepare the mushrooms: Wash and slice the mushrooms. Add the butter to a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7-9 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through and any liquid has cooked off. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- When the farro is finished cooking, add the parmesan to the farro and stir until the cheese is melted and mixed through.
- To serve, scoop the farro into a bowl. Top with mushrooms, fresh chives, and parmesan. Enjoy!
This was delish and so easy!!! Thank you so much. Risotto is one of my favorite foods, but I never have Arborio rice on hand so this was a game changer. Also, you can never have too many mushrooms.
YAY i’m so glad you enjoyed!!! and yes i totally agree — i rarely have arborio rice on my shelf, but often have farro. and i love the hearty taste the farro gives! so glad you loved this one <3