Vegan Creamy Mushroom And Farro Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the leeks and half the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and crisped, 12 to 15 minutes. (They will start giving off moisture and steaming a little before this happens, so be patient.)
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a medium bowl leaving any olive oil behind. (They will have absorbed the oil as they cook, and released it back as they crisp.) Add a bit more olive oil so there's another 1/4 cup or so in the pot. Cook the remaining leeks and mushrooms, adding them to the bowl with the other mushrooms.
• Without wiping the pot, add farro and season with salt and pepper. Cook over that same medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until farro is toasted on the outside (it will go from pale golden brown to a toastier golden brown), about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a strong simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until farro is fully cooked and most (but not all) of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. It should still look a bit loose, like risotto or a porridge. Remove from heat and add half the chives.
• Toss dill, remaining chives and lemon zest together in a small bowl. To serve, season farro with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls. Top with sour cream, mushrooms and leeks, and dill mixture. Serve lemon wedges alongside for squeezing.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees and bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Spread farro out on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice to toast the grains evenly.
• While farro toasts, place dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover completely with 1 1/2 cups hot water from the saucepan. Cover the bowl and set aside to hydrate.
• Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots and 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, adding a splash of water if necessary to prevent it from scorching.
• Stir in the toasted farro. Carefully scoop the dried mushrooms from their soaking liquid and add them to the pot. Strain their soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot as well, discarding any grit left in the sieve. Add Parmesan broth, white wine and thyme to the pot and bring to a boil over high.
• Once liquid boils, lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover the pot and continue to cook at an active simmer until the farro is al dente, swimming in a lightly creamy broth, another 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard thyme stems and stir in the grated Parmesan. Season with black pepper to taste.
• When the farro is almost done, cook the fresh mushrooms: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add half the torn fresh mushrooms, stir to coat, then cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then cook until the mushrooms are golden and caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a medium bowl. Repeat with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and remaining fresh mushrooms, transferring cooked mushrooms to bowl. Stir 2 teaspoons vinegar into cooked mushrooms; season to taste.
• To serve, ladle soup into shallow bowls. Top with seared mushrooms and extra Parmesan, to taste.