Lisa Cenicola
This is one of my favorite soup recipes. It’s a truly hearty and delicious soup that you won’t find often because the mushrooms can be pricey, but worth every dollar! Pearled farro is a whole grain that is available in most grocery stores or health food stores. I make it ahead, refrigerate it, and then reheat it, serving it with a dollop of crème fraiche and a swirl of marsala wine. It’s super comforting on a cold day!
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. dried wild mushrooms, morels or porcini
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. pancetta – diced into ¼ inch pieces
3 c. yellow onions, chopped
2 c. carrots, diced into ½ inch pieces
2 c. celery, diced into ½ inch pieces
4 tsp. garlic, minced
¾ c. (about 5 oz.) pearled farro
12 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms, stems discarded and sliced into ¼ inch pieces
½ c. + 2 Tbsp. dry marsala wine
4 c. canned beef broth
3 large sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
salt & black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 oz. crème fraîche
½ c. fresh parsley, minced
Preparation:
Place dried mushrooms and 6 cups of water in medium pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat, cover and set aside for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven. Add pancetta, onions, carrots and celery. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and farro and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cremini mushrooms and ½ c. of marsala and cook for 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms have released their liquid. Meanwhile, strain dried mushrooms through cheese cloth, reserving the liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms and add them to the pot, along with strained soaking liquid, beef broth, thyme, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes, until farro is tender. Discard thyme bundle. In small bowl, mash together flour and butter and stir into hot soup. Simmer for five minutes, then stir in crème fraiche and remaining 2 Tbsps. of marsala, and taste for seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
TIDBIT
The Most Expensive Mushroom
andersphoto - stock.adobe.com
Black truffle isolated on white, clipping path included
Black truffle isolated on white, clipping path included
White truffles are resistant to farming and highly perishable. Growing wild in forests, they are hand-hunted by men with trained dogs or pigs, and are available fresh only from September into December. For this reason, they are notoriously expensive. In 2016, however, there was an abundance of truffles, and prices plunged. During the 2017 season, a hot summer followed by a dry fall made for a dramatically smaller harvest, causing prices to skyrocket to more than $3,000 per pound for larger golf ball-sized pickings.
