• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Cayenne
  • ABOUT
    • Work With Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • RECIPES
    • All Recipes
    • RECIPES BY CATEGORY
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Main Entree
    • Sides
    • Snacks
    • Cooking Tips
    • How-To Guides
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • NEWSLETTER
    • CONTACT
    • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Main Entree

    Farro Risotto with Mushrooms and Winter Greens Pesto

    Published: Mar 2, 2015 · Modified: Aug 9, 2020 by Whitney Reist · This post may contain affiliate links |

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Farro Risotto with Mushrooms and Winter Greens Pesto is a hearty and satisfying one-dish vegetarian meal.

    Farro Risotto #onepot #vegetarian www.sweetcayenne.com

    Hooray for the arrival of March! While February was a fun month that brought the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and red carpet-watching parties, I will welcome the beginning of March with excitement for all things spring. I'm ready to start working out outdoors again, can't wait to bite into some fresh Spring asparagus, and am dying to try my hand at pickling radishes and other baby vegetables to garnish big plates of fresh salad. I'm doing everything I can, however, to dull my anticipation of warmer weather in Lincoln, because I know that March is a wild-card month as far as the weather goes.

    Watch this quick video to see how I make homemade pesto:

    Farro Risotto

    The recipe I'm sharing with you today does a great job, in my opinion, of balancing cold weather comfort food with a nod towards fresher fare with vibrant green color. While the creamy, hearty taste and texture of farro risotto may taste and feel indulgent, this dish is chock full of good-for-you ingredients from fiber and protein-rich farro to vibrant green kale, Swiss chard, and spinach. Omega-3's make an appearance in the form of toasted walnuts and we get a good dose of Vitamin E and healthy fats from olive oil-saturated pesto.

    Farro Risotto #easy #onepot #vegetarian www.sweetcayenne.com

    This risotto is an extremely satisfying one-pot vegetarian dish that I love to make on a lazy Sunday night with some relaxing music playing in the background. Ryan takes care of patiently stirring hot ladels of broth into the farro while I make the pesto that will eventually get folded into the finished dish. We love the fact that the leftovers taste excellent the next day; and even more so that we've got Monday night's dinner taken care of so we can ease into a new week. Be sure to buy extra mushrooms  and crusty loaf of bread when you shop for the ingredients in this dish, as the leftover winter greens pesto makes a great spread for a delicious mushroom bruschetta I like to make for lunch at home on occasion. Bon appètit!

    Connect with us on Bloglovin, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

    Farro Risotto

    Farro Risotto with Mushrooms and Winter Greens Pesto

    Farro Risotto with Mushrooms and Winter Greens Pesto is a hearty and satisfying one-dish vegetarian meal. It's creamy texture tastes and feels indulgent, but the dish is full of good-for-you ingredients that will warm you from the inside out.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetcayenne5 or tag #sweetcayenne!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6 cups

    Ingredients

    For the pesto:

    • ¼ cup toasted walnuts
    • 2 cloves of garlic
    • 4 cups power greens salad mix I chose a blend of chard, kale, and spinach
    • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ cup shredded manchego cheese
    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

    For the risotto:

    • 6 cups Kitchen Basics Unsalted Vegetable Stock
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 12 ounces cremini {or baby bella} mushrooms sliced
    • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
    • 1 cup farro
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
    • ⅓ cup winter greens pesto
    • ¼ cup grated manchego cheese

    Instructions

    For the risotto:

    • In a food processor, combine the walnuts and garlic. Process until a coarse meal forms. Add the greens, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cheese. Process until combined while gradually adding the olive oil. You should end up with a thick pesto. Place the pesto in an airtight container and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Reserve ⅓ cup for the finished risotto and store the remainder in the fridge for up to 1 week. Leftover pesto can be used on pasta, toast, pizza, or scrambled eggs.

    For the risotto:

    • In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable stock over medium-low heat. Have a ladel ready nearby.
    • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, add the chopped mushrooms. Saute until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
    • Add the thyme, garlic and soy sauce and stir until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
    • Add the farro and saute to lightly toast, about 1 minute.
    • Add the wine and stir until almost completely evaporated.
    • Add the broth one ladel-full at a time, stirring until each ladel is absorbed. Continue to do this until the farro is thick and the mixture is creamy. This will take 30-35 minutes, and should use the entire 6 cups of broth.
    • Once the risotto is finished, fold in the mascarpone cheese, ⅓ cup of pesto, ¼ cup of grated manchego. Serve hot. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated in a covered microwave-safe container for 1 ½ - 2 minutes or on the stove top, adding extra broth as needed to make the risotto creamy again.
    Serving: 1.25Cups | Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.2g | Protein: 15.3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4.5g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 680mg | Potassium: 563mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 8.6g

     

    Don't miss these recipes!

    • Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
    • Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Coconut and Spinach
    • Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pork
    • Grilled Pork Adobo Kabobs

    Want more?

    Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get exclusive content (like menus, cooking downloads, and more!), blog recaps, and a chance to connect or be featured!

    Affiliate Disclosure

    Many of the links in my posts are affiliate links, which means I can get a small commission for any click or purchases made through the links. I am also an Amazon Associate and I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. genevieve @ gratitude & greens says

      March 03, 2015 at 8:57 pm

      The first two months of the year has gone by, I can't believe it's March already! I'm so ready for spring weather and produce. It's been cold and dreary where I am, and warmer weather couldn't come fast enough. This farro risotto is a great in-between seasons dish- it has just the warmth I need and all the greens I'm craving!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hello there!

    I'm Whitney, the chef, photographer, dietitian, and blogger-extraordinaire behind Sweet Cayenne. Welcome to my online kitchen!

    About Whitney & Sweet Cayenne

    What's In Season

    • St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board
    • Easy Potato Leek Soup
    • Small Batch Strawberry Jam
    • Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Pie
    • Strawberry Pretzel Chicken Wraps
    • Simple Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

    Free cookbook and menu planners!

    Subscribe to my weekly newsletter & receive a free e-cookbook of my 25 best recipes along with menu planning sheets!

    Privacy Policy

    The Latest & Greatest:

    A wire rack with a sheet of parchment paper on top and cinnamon biscuits.

    Cinnamon Biscuits with Vanilla Icing (Bojangles Copycat)

    A white bowl filled with pizza pasta salad garnished with fresh basil leaves.

    Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad

    A pink bowl on a cutting board filled with sweet potato lentil curry and rice.

    Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Coconut and Spinach

    A St. Patrick's day themed snack board with corned beef, sauerkraut, soda bread, and other charcuterie items.

    St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board

    A white bowl of potato leek soup topped with croutons, bacon, cheese, and scallions.

    Easy Potato Leek Soup

    Square-red-velvet-cheesecake-bars

    Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

    Travel Here Next:

    • Nashville Finds: Lemon Laine Oil Bar
    • Positano, Italy: Budget-Friendly Travel Guide
    • The Best Tuscan Road Trip Itinerary + Tips on Driving in Italy
    • A Foodie's Guide to Emilia-Romagna, Italy

    Cooking Guides

    • Cookbook Club: Super Simple Cookbook Review
    • Sweet Cayenne Cookbook Club | Tips for Planning and Hosting
    • 5 Ways to Become a Better Cook
    • Facts About Food: Where to Go for Answers & Guidance

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Photography Services

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 SweetCayenne