Porcini Mushroom Soup

I LOVE soup when it is cold and yucky outside.  For my lunch this week, I made some soup.  This recipe makes 10 cups and at 111 calories per cup, go ahead and eat 2 cups per day.  It is so delicious and filling.  I adapted my recipe from here.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
16 oz sliced button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
5 minced garlic cloves

4-5 cups of chicken broth
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 can diced tomatoes or freshly diced
1 cup uncooked farro

salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of dried oregano

grated pecorino cheese (optional)

Pour 1 cup of water in a heatproof cup or bowl and put the dried porcini mushrooms in it.  Place some plastic wrap over the top with a few knife vents and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Let it steep while you work on the rest of the soup.

In a large stockpot, pour 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the onions, carrots and sliced mushrooms.  Cook until softened and all of the liquid has rendered from the mushrooms, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Dice the softened porcini mushrooms and place them in the pot as well as the liquid from them (you may want to strain the liquid though a paper towel in case there is any grit resting at the bottom of your glass).  Add 4 cups of chicken broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and farro.  Bring pot to a boil and then simmer for however long it says to cook your farro on the package.  Mine from Trader Joe's says 10 minutes.  Depending on how much broth your farro, soaks up, you may choose to add another cup of broth.

Add the salt, pepper and oregano.

When serving the soup you may want to add a bit or grated Pecorino.  :)

Nutritional Info (without cheese) 10, 1 cup servings:
Calories: 111, Saturated fat: 0.2g, Dietary fiber: 4.1 g, sugar: 3.6g, and Protein 6.7 g.