Ina Garten Mushroom Farro Soup Recipe

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Ina Garten’s mushroom farro soup is a thick, earthy soup made with dried wild mushrooms, fresh cremini mushrooms, pancetta, pearled farro, Marsala wine, beef broth, and a finish of crème fraîche. The farro simmers for 45 minutes in a combination of mushroom soaking liquid and beef broth, so every grain soaks up deep, meaty flavor. It serves 6 and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.

This recipe comes from Make It Ahead, where Ina describes it as “warm and comforting on a cold day.” She makes it ahead, refrigerates it, and then reheats it, “serving it with a dollop of crème fraîche and a swirl of Marsala wine.” What sets her version apart is the double mushroom technique: dried wild mushrooms like porcini or morels create a rich stock, then fresh cremini sliced thin add texture and a second layer of mushroom flavor.

The dried mushroom soaking liquid is the backbone of this soup, so don’t pour it down the drain. Steeping the dried mushrooms in 6 cups of water creates a concentrated mushroom stock that gives the broth a deep, savory intensity the beef broth alone won’t deliver. Skip this step and use plain water instead and the soup tastes flat, like farro in weak broth with mushroom pieces floating in it.

FAQs

Why use both dried and fresh mushrooms?

Each type of mushroom does a different job. The dried porcini or morels steep in hot water for 20 minutes and create a concentrated mushroom stock that gives the broth its deep, earthy backbone. The fresh cremini mushrooms are sliced and sautéed so you get tender, meaty pieces with real texture in every spoonful.

Using only dried mushrooms would give you great broth flavor but nothing to bite into. Using only fresh would give you nice texture but a thinner, less complex broth. Ina layers both so the soup has depth and substance at the same time.

How is this different from Ina’s Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup?

Her Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup in Barefoot Contessa at Home is a completely different approach. That one uses three kinds of fresh mushrooms (shiitake, portobello, cremini), a roux for thickening, white wine, half-and-half, and heavy cream. It’s rich, smooth, and luxurious.

This farro version from Make It Ahead is chunkier, heartier, and more rustic. Marsala wine instead of white wine, beef broth instead of mushroom stock from scratch, and pearled farro makes it substantial enough to be a meal on its own. The Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup is a first course. This one is dinner.

What does the butter and flour paste do at the end?

That paste is a beurre manié, a classic French thickening technique Ina uses instead of making a roux at the beginning. You mash softened butter and flour together with a fork, then stir the paste into the hot soup where it dissolves and thickens the broth in about 5 minutes.

The advantage of adding it at the end instead of the beginning is control. After 45 minutes of simmering, you can see exactly how thick the soup already is from the farro’s starch. Then you stir in just enough beurre manié to give it body without turning it into porridge.

Can you make mushroom farro soup ahead of time?

This is one of Ina’s best make-ahead soups. She says it keeps in the fridge for up to a week and freezes for up to 3 months. The flavor actually improves after a day or two because the farro absorbs more of the broth and the mushroom flavor deepens overnight.

The farro does continue to soak up liquid as it sits, so the soup will be noticeably thicker when you reheat it. Add a splash of beef broth while reheating over low heat until you get the consistency you want. Finish each bowl with a fresh dollop of crème fraîche and a drizzle of Marsala.

What should you serve with mushroom farro soup?

This soup is hearty enough to be a full meal with just good crusty bread on the side. The farro, pancetta, and mushrooms make it closer to a stew than a light first course, so you don’t need much else.

If you want a lighter side, a simple arugula salad with lemon and shaved Parmesan cuts through the richness without competing. Ina often pairs her winter soups with homemade bruschetta, and a garlic-rubbed toast with a drizzle of olive oil would work perfectly here too.