This instant pot (affiliate) mushroom farro risotto is an easy weeknight meal that your entire family will love. It is packed with so much flavour from the earthly mushrooms, nutty farro and creamy Parmesan cheese. The best part is you don’t have to stand over a pot constantly stirring as you make the risotto. This is a classic Italian dish that traditionally would be laborious, but we’ve made it so easy for you!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It only has 304 calories per serving and fits into my weight-loss or weight maintenance meal plans.
- This is the perfect hands off dish that makes for a great side dish or eat it as the main dish.
- This dish tastes great the next day if you happen to have leftovers.
- Farro is an extremely nutritious whole grain.
- Your entire family will love it!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sprouted organic farro, I prefer sprouted over pearled farro because it contains more nutritional value. However, if you have pearled you can use that as well.
- Shallot
- Dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
- Cremini mushrooms
- Rosemary, preferably fresh
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano or high quality Parmesan that you find in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. Do not use the powdered cheese that sits on the shelf or you will not get the same results.
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Butter
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools You’ll need
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Instant pot (affiliate) or alternative pressure cooked
- Cheese grater (affiliate) with fine grate
Is farro healthy?
Farro is an ancient grain that is believed to originate in the Middle East. Today, it is primarily grown in Italy in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio, making it popular local ingredients for many Italians. It has a chewy texture, nutty flavor and is an absolute nutritional powerhouse.
It is high in fiber, a good source of plant-based protein, rich in antioxidants and has a low glycemic index. It contains essential micronutrients such as magnesium, iron, zinc and B vitamins which help support metabolism and the immune system. Farro is a great healthy choice to balance out any meal and to keep you full and satisfied.
Instructions
Gather all your tools and prep the ingredients and let’s get started!
Sauté. Turn the instant pot to sauté on high. Add the olive oil to the pot and allow it to heat up. Add the finely diced shallot and sliced mushrooms and sauce until the mushrooms are soft, for about 8-10 minutes. Then add the farro and fresh sprig of rosemary and toast the grain for 1 minute. Heating the farro before you add any liquids will help it absorb liquids afterwards. Add the wine to the pot and allow it to simmer until it reduces by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable broth, if you are keeping this dish vegetarian and close the lid.
TIP: Heating the farro before you add any liquids will help it absorb liquids afterwards. This is an important step when making any type of risotto.
Pressure cook. Turn the instant pot to pressure cook and cook for 30 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural release.
Finish the dish. Release any pressure using the release valve and carefully remove the lid to the instant pot. Stir the Parmesan cheese and butter into the farro to make it creamy. Remove the rosemary sprig and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Substitutions and Additions
- Substitute for wine. You can leave this out if you like and just add the same amount of chicken broth to make up for the liquid.
- Substitute for rosemary. I like the way rosemary and mushrooms taste together, but you could also use fresh thyme in this recipe and it would be delicious.
- Substitute for cremini mushrooms. I used cremini mushrooms because you can almost always find them in the grocery store, but feel free to experiment with the mushrooms in this dish, adding different kinds like portobellos, porcini mushrooms or oyster mushrooms.
- Substitute for Parmesan cheese. If you want a bit of a funky flavor try using pecorino cheese. Asiago cheese would also be a nice addition since it has a nutty flavor that would pair nicely with the farro.
- Substitute for shallot. You can use a yellow cooking onion instead of shallot if you don’t have shallots on hand.
- Substitute for farro. You can go a little more traditional and use arborio rice to make this risotto, just ensure you pay attention to the cooking time in the pressure cooker as it will differ.
- Add greens. If you are feeling like this dish needs something to brighten it up you can add spinach, chopped kale or chard.
- Add protein. I personally love the combination of bacon and mushrooms, so I would recommend adding some crispy crumbled bacon or cubed pancetta (cooked) to this dish after the the pressure cooker step.
Variations of farro risotto
If you loved this farro risotto recipe and want to try different flavours here are a few ideas for you:
- Butternut squash farro risotto. This is a savoury fall dish that would taste absolutely delicious with fresh sage leaves and parmesan cheese.
- Asparagus, pea and pancetta farro risotto. This would be a fresh take on this risotto by adding a little bit of lemon and Grana Padano cheese.
- Parmesan farro risotto. Leave out the mushrooms and just the farro and Parmesan cheese shine. This will be a creamy and delicious simple side dish.
Storage
Mushroom farro risotto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This dish is not meant to be frozen.
FAQ
Pearled farro has been processed to remove the outer bran layer, which results in a shorter cooking time of about 20-30 minutes. The process of removing the outer layer reduces some of the fiber and nutrients of the farro compared to the sprouted type of grain. Sprouted farro is typically soaked in water until the grain begins to sprout. This process activates enzymes in the farro to break down starches and make nutrients more available. Sprouted farro takes longer to cook, about 40-50 minutes. So, if you would like a more nutritional option choose sprouted farro and if you are short on time choose pearled farro.
Farro risotto is a popular dish made in Italy using an ancient grain called farro. It is a variation of the more common version of risotto made with arborio rice. Farro Risotto is first sautéd with some aromatic vegetables like garlic and onions and then slowly cooked in a liquid like chicken stock until it has a creamy smooth texture and finished off with more vegetables and cheese. It can be served as a side dish or on its own as a main dish.
Wine pairings
The obvious choice here is to drink the bottle of wine you’ve already opened to make this dish. But if you are unsure of what to drink with this I would suggest a full bodied white, like a Sauvignon Blanc with some earthy notes to it or a buttery Chardonnay to pair nice with the nutty and buttery risotto. If you prefer red I would go medium bodied with some earthy, oaky flavors like a Pinot Noir. Here are a few suggestions from around the world:
- MacMurray Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, USA
- The Vibrant Vine Woops, Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, Canada
- Lake Sonoma Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, USA
- Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio, Sudtirol-Alto, Italy
What to serve with mushroom farro risotto
I recently served this mushroom farro risotto with Italian marinated flank steak and it was a hit for my family. Honestly, this dish is so versatile you can serve it with any protein on the side from juicy roasted chicken to grilled pork chops to veal scallopini. It can also be paired with a beautiful and bright salad, like this pear, fennel and celery salad. Is your mouth watering right now, because mine is as I’m writing this?!?!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Instant pot Mushroom Farro Risotto
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Instant pot or alternative pressure cooked
- Cheese grater (affiliate) with fine grate
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sprouted organic farro
- 1 shallot finely diced
- ½ cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 sprig rosemary preferably fresh
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley or Italian parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Turn the instant pot to saute on high. Add the olive oil to the pot and allow it to heat up. Add the finely diced shallot and sliced mushrooms and sauce until the mushrooms are soft, or for about 8-10 minutes. All the water should have come out of the mushrooms.
- Add the farro and fresh sprig of rosemary and toast the grain for 1 minute. Add the wine to the pot and allow it to simmer until it reduces by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and close the lid.
- Turn the instant pot to pressure cook and cook for 40 minutes, or however long your package of farro says (see notes), followed by a 10 minute natural release.
- Release any pressure using the release valve and carefully remove the lid to the instant pot. Stir the Parmesan cheese and butter into the farro to make it creamy and luxurious. Remove the rosemary sprig and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- If you are using dried rosemary instead of fresh, use about 1 tsp.
- For a natural release on the instant pot, wait for an additional 10 minutes after the pressure cooker has stopped building pressure before you push the release value. The pressure will slowly release over that period of time.
- The portions above are meant for this to be served as a side dish. If eating this as a full meal it would make 2 servings, so that 1 serving is about ½ cup of uncooked farro.
- There are 2 common types of farro you could use – pearled farro and sprouted farro (affiliate). Pearled farro will cook much faster than sprouted farro (affiliate), so please look at the directions on the package of farro you purchased when setting the timing on your pressure cooker.
- Calories listed here are estimates and can vary based on portion sizes and ingredients you use.
Kaylen says
Such a delicious and healthy side. Love the chew of farro!
Sharon says
I love mushroom risotto and your recipe solves my issues on why I don’t make mushroom risotto more often. Easier and more nutritious, I’m in!!