Farro with Mushrooms & Asparagus
A skillet of tender farro tossed with sautéed mushrooms and asparagus, brightened with lemon and softened with crumbled goat cheese. It works as a warm side dish or a light main.
Ingredients
- 2 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup farro, uncooked, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounce mushrooms, sliced
- ¾ pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 clove garlic, minced
- 1 piece shallot, large, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 piece lemon zest, zested
- 1 piece lemon juice, juiced
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2–3 ounce goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon chives, chopped
- fresh lemon juice, for garnish, to taste (optional)
Method
- In a medium saucepan, combine the farro and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the farro for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain off any excess broth.
- While the farro is cooking, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, the mushrooms will begin to sweat and release their moisture. Add the asparagus and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the garlic, shallot, and thyme and sauté, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the cooked farro to the skillet and stir to combine. Crumble the goat cheese over the farro and vegetables. Stir until creamy. I always start with 2 ounces of goat cheese and taste. If you want a stronger goat cheese flavor and the farro to be creamier, you can add more goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with fresh chives and a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if using. Serve warm.