Wild Mushroom Veggie and Farro Soup

My beloved mom is very sick. She is my rock and my world. My posts will probably be erratic for awhile, but the ones that I do make will be for me very therapeutic. I appreciate all the great people that I have met on-line and your wonderful support. Thank you for listening.

In a soup, mushroom and barley are a great combination, one that works very well together. Today’s soup is a hearty one, one with many layers of flavor. Basically you have fresh and dried mushrooms, pancetta and loads of veggies. Marsala wine is used to deglaze the pot and then added again at the end. Fresh thyme and parsley bring a wonderful freshness. This is a great soup to ring in the new year. Hope my mom likes it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces dried wild mushrooms ( I bought mine at Trader Joe's)

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces pancetta (Trader Joe's, already diced)

2 small onions chopped (3 cups)

4 carrots cut into 1/4 inch pieces (2 cups)

4 stalks celery cut into 1/4 inch pieces (2 cups)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

3/4 cup pearled farro

12 ounces cremini mushrooms (cut into 1/4 inch slices)

1/2 cup Marsala wine, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

6 cups chicken broth

6 springs thyme (tied together)

1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup minced parsley

To prepare:

Begin by placing the dried mushrooms in 4 cups of boiling water, remove from heat cover with lid. Meanwhile, heat olive oil, add pancetta, onions, carrots and celery and saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. Add garlic and farro and cook for a few  more minutes.

Add cremini mushrooms and the 1/2 cup Marsala wine, cook for another 5 to 7  minutes, until mushrooms have released some of there moisture.

In the meantime, drain the dried mushrooms through a cheesecloth, reserve the liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and add them to the pot along with the strained mushroom soaking liquid.

Add chicken broth, bundle of thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and then simmer for 45 minutes, until farro is tender. Remove thyme bundle.

Mash flour and butter together and stir into soup pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Marsala wine. Sprinkle with parsley. Taste for seasoning.

Recipe is from Ina Garten, "Make it Ahead, cookbook.