Farro with Mushrooms and Walnut Dressing

No matter how much I blog about simple foods = good foods, I still get amazed when a simple recipe turns out fantastic. Farro with mushrooms and walnuts was one of those dishes. I’ll say it once again: IT’S SO SIMPLE. Part of what makes me excited about the simplicity of this ancient grain dish is that it reminds me of risotto but is much quicker and easier.

I remember the first time I made risotto. My friend Juliet taught me, and she described it like this: “Then you stir and you stir and you stir.” She wasn’t wrong, and the risotto was delicious, maybe because of the stirring, but more likely because we ended up using half a bottle of wine (and drinking the rest)!

On a good day, I will make risotto, but today, I want the machines to do the labor. The Instant Pot will cook the farro. The oven will roast the mushrooms. And the blender will turn a handful of nuts into a fresh sauce. All I had to do was chop some parsley!

Cooking Farro in the Instant Pot

I used Bob’s Red Mill Farro, which takes a longer cooking time than others. If you purchased 10-minute farro (Trader Joe’s is common) or quick farro, my method might apply. Check out this resource for all you need to know about cooking different types of farro in an Instant Pot.

Or, if you find yourself with heavy-duty farro, like I did, simply add farro and water to the Instant Pot in a 2:3 ratio. That means 2 parts farro, 3 parts water. In my case, I used 1 ½ cups farro and 2 ¼ cups water. Then add salt to taste. Cook manually on high pressure for seven minutes then drain any excess water.

Roasting mushrooms in the oven

Put a pound of mushrooms on a baking pan and toss them with two tablespoons olive oil, plus salt and pepper. Then, bake them in a 400 Fahrenheit oven for 15-20 minutes.

I’ve written about roasting before–it’s one of my favorite low intensity cooking methods. Check out this resource for a comprehensive vegetable roasting guide!

Walnut dressing

It might sound odd, but I love hot foods with salad dressings. Your body probably does, too, since olive oil is healthier fresh than heated. In this dish, I especially love the bite of that fresh garlic, which balances the comforting flavors of grains, nuts, and mushrooms.

To make the dressing, I used a blender. I zapped ¼ cup walnuts with ¼ cup olive oil until smooth. Then, I added a clove of garlic, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt and gave it one more whirl.

Finally, combine all your elements in a large bowl, and add some freshly chopped parsley.

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