It’s Superbowl weekend, and I cannot think of a better food to celebrate game day than a big bowl of hearty chili. No two chili recipes are the same, and this mushroom farro chili is no different. Meaty mushrooms and chewy farro take this veggie chili to the next level!
I made some variations to this chili recipe specifically because it incorporates mushrooms. Mushrooms have a lot of umami (savory) flavor, so I wanted to overall flavor of the chili to be rich in umami as well.
Therefore, I added two other ingredients rich in umami. I put tomato paste in the with veggies, early in the cooking process, and tamari sauce is added last when the chili is finished. This method produces layers of umami that make this chili stand out above others.
Variations to the Mushroom Farro Chili recipe:
- Grain: Use any chewy grain you like in place of the farro. Wheat berries, barley, or bulgar would be good options.
- Prep the Mushrooms: I like to dice half the mushrooms, and leave the rest in large slices. This way you can still find large chewy pieces, but the texture of the mushroom does not overwhelm the dish.
- Salt: No salt is needed in this recipe because of the tamari and the broth. You can always taste test the final product and add salt to taste if necessary.
- Ratio: You can adjust the ratio of farro, mushrooms and kidney beans to your liking. I prefered this ratio with just enough grains that you could tell they were present, and plenty of kidney beans for protein.
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large bell pepper, diced
- 12 oz mushrooms, sliced and/or chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapenos, minced
- 2 TBS tomato paste
- 4 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 2 ½ cups vegetable or mushroom broth
- 15 oz can diced tomato
- 2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained
- 1 TBS reduced sodium tamari
- ⅓ cup farro
- Saute onion and bell pepper in olive oil until soft. Add garlic, mushrooms, and jalapenos. Saute until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. Mix in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne. Saute 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in broth, tomatoes, and kidney beans. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Mix in the farro and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the farro is tender.
