Sweet Onion + Farro Soup

Whenever I go to New York, I like to discover new places to eat. And, I usually frequent a few of my favorite tried + true.
Pastis is one of those places for me.


Sweet Onion, Wild Mushroom, and Farro Soup with Parmesan Crostini

I created this recipe after returning from a tuscan market in Chiusi. Fresh porcini just foraged were being sold by the crateful. Any wild mushrooms will do, make with porcini

5 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 Tbs. extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup carrot, diced
¾ cup celery, diced
2 Tbs. flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
6 oz. Bella Cucina Sweet Vidalia Onion Pesto
½ cup white wine
6 cups veal, beef, or vegetable stock or broth
1 lb mushrooms, in any combination of cremini, shitake, portobello, or chantarelle, sliced
1 cup farro
kosher salt
1 loaf of Italian bread {ciabatta would work nicely}
½ cup parmesan cheese

In a large heavy saucepan add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until the butter foams. Saute the mushrooms with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper until browned. Add white wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same saucepan, heat the remaining butter and oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and parsley and sauté until soft. Add Sweet Vidalia Onion Pesto and stock. Simmer for 45 minutes.



To make crostini:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Slice the baguette into ½ inch slices and add to a buttered baking sheet. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of parmesan cheese onto each slice. Bake for 10 minutes until slighty brown

Ladle hot soul into bowls and place crostini on top









Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry