Creamy Farro with Crispy Mushrooms and Stewed Cabbage
One of my favorite dinners of all time, this dish brings together all the satisfying flavors of polish pierogies expanded to a full meal, and a healthy one at that.
Yield: Serves 4
Active Time: 45m
Total Time: 1h15m
INGREDIENTS:
½ c. olive oil, divided
2-4 medium leeks, trimmed of leaves and roots, thinly sliced
1 lb. mixed mushrooms (maitake, oyster, cremini, or chanterelle), torn into bite size pieces
1¾ c. pearled or semi-pearled farro
1½ q. vegetable (or chicken) broth, divided
2 c. filtered water
1 head of green cabbage, cored, quartered, and then cut into strips
½ c. chopped chives
A large handful of fresh dill, washed and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
(optional) sour cream or vegan alternative (see note), for serving
(optional) lemon zest for serving
RECIPE:
Heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-heat. Add half the mushrooms and half the leeks, season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring rarely, until mushrooms are brown and crispy - about 15 minutes. (see note)
While the mushrooms cook, add the other ¼ cup of olive oil to a different medium pot. Add cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and toss in the olive oil until well coated. Add 2 cups (½ quart) of the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until very tender, about 15 minutes. Once this is done, just turn off the heat, taste for seasoning, and let it sit.
Once first batch of mushrooms and leeks are done, use a slotted spoon to remove mixture to a bowl lined with paper towels. Repeat process with second half of mushrooms and leeks.
Don’t clean out the pot! We want all that flavor. Add dry farro to the pot and season with salt and pepper, stirring it in all that flavored oil and mushroom/leek goodness. Cook until farro is toasted, about 5 minutes.
Add remaining quart of stock and 2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until farro is fully cooked - about 25 minutes. It should almost be the consistency of risotto. Mix in chives.
To serve, put creamy farro into a bowl, top with dill, any remaining chives, some lemon zest, and a big scoop of sour cream or alternative.
HELPFUL NOTES:
Feel free to use a vegan sour cream, or omit entirely. If you’re like me and don’t keep sour cream around all the time, you can mix 1 cup of greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt.
Mushrooms act like sponges. They will soak up all the oil, then when they’re done cooking, squeeze themselves and release all that oil. Don’t stop until theyve released the oil and are looking crispy!
