Wild Mushroom & Farro Sunday-Supper Broth (with a Calvados Wink)
Sunday night, I want cozy, but I don’t want a nap. This broth is my bistro-daydream with California light: wild mushrooms simmered until the pot smells like a forest after rain, farro for that pleasing chew, and—here’s the mischievous part—a small splash of Calvados. Apples and mushrooms are old friends in France, and Calvados gives the broth a soft, amber “what is that?” that makes everyone drift into the kitchen.
The inspiration came from a little Paris habit: starting dinner with something simple and clarifying—just broth, bread, and conversation. But I really fell in love with this version one chilly coastal weekend in Northern California. I bought scruffy chanterelles from a farmer who swore they “liked fog,” came home, and made a pot with thyme and shallots. We ate it standing up, laughing, before anything else even hit the table.
What makes it special to me is the finish: a lemony beurre monté. Very French, very casual—whisk in cold butter off the heat and suddenly the bowl goes glossy and plush.
Make it yours: swap farro for barley, add a jammy egg, or stir in a handful of tender greens at the end. And please—taste for lemon like you mean it.
Featured Recipe
Wild Mushroom & Farro Sunday-Supper Broth with Calvados, Thyme, and Lemony Beurre Monté
This is my idea of a bistro-cozy Sunday starter: a clear, deeply mushroomy broth with chewy farro and a little Calvados wink—finished the very French way, with a beurre monté that turns the whole bowl silky without ever feeling heavy. It’s gentle simmer comfort with a California finish: lemon, parsley, and the kind of perfume that makes everyone wander into the kitchen asking, “What is that?”
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Ingredients
- 20 g Dried porcini mushrooms(for soaking + broth depth)
- 2 cup Boiling water(to soak porcini)
- 6 tbsp Unsalted butter(divided; for sauté + beurre monté finish)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil(helps butter not scorch)
- 2 Shallots(finely sliced)
- 1 Leek (white + pale green only)(well rinsed, thinly sliced)
- 1 Celery stalk(finely diced)
- 2 clove Garlic(smashed then chopped)
- 6 sprig Fresh thyme(plus more leaves to finish if you like)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 12 oz Wild mushrooms (chanterelles, maitake, oysters, or mix)(torn/sliced; save a handful of pretty pieces for garnish if desired)
- 8 oz Cremini mushrooms(sliced; for body + bistro familiarity)
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste(optional but lovely for umami)
- 1 tbsp Calvados (or dry sherry)(optional; deglaze)
- 1 2/3 cup Dry white wine(something you’d happily drink)
- 6 cup Vegetable stock (or light mushroom stock)(keep it gentle, not aggressive)
- 3/4 cup Pearled farro(rinsed)
- 1 tsp Soy sauce or tamari(optional; secret restaurant depth)
- 1 tsp Lemon zest(from 1 lemon)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice(to taste)
- 1/3 cup Flat-leaf parsley(finely chopped)
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt(plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper(plus more to taste)
- 1 tbsp Crème fraîche(optional; a tiny dollop per bowl, very bistro)
- about 2 cups (the soaking water from rehydrating dried porcini) cup Porcini soaking liquid(The strained porcini soaking liquid is added with the stock in the simmer step.)
Instructions
- 1
Soak the porcini: put 20 g Dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 2 cup Boiling water. Let sit 15 minutes, then lift the mushrooms out (don’t dump—save the liquid). Roughly chop the porcini.
15 min
Tip: Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or a double layer of paper towel—porcini love hiding sandy grit.
- 2
Start the base (gentle, not frantic): in a soup pot over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp Unsalted butter with 1 tbsp Olive oil. Add 2 Shallots, 1 Leek (white + pale green only), and 1 Celery stalk with a pinch of salt. Sweat until soft and sweet, 8–10 minutes—no browning needed, we’re building velvet, not toast.
10 min
Tip: Sweating vegetables is classic French comfort: low stress, high payoff.
- 3
Build mushroom depth: add 2 clove Garlic, 6 sprig Fresh thyme, and 1 Bay leaf; cook 1 minute. Add 12 oz Wild mushrooms (chanterelles, maitake, oysters, or mix) + 8 oz Cremini mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Cook until the mushrooms give up their liquid and it mostly evaporates, 10–12 minutes.
12 min
Tip: If you want a pretty garnish, sauté a small handful of wild mushrooms in a separate pan with a little butter until golden and set aside.
- 4
Optional umami step: stir in 1 tbsp Tomato paste and cook 1 minute to caramelize lightly. Deglaze with 1 tbsp Calvados (or dry sherry) and let it reduce for 30 seconds. Add 1 2/3 cup Dry white wine and simmer 2 minutes.
4 min
Tip: That tiny splash of Calvados is my Sunday-supper secret—appley, warm, and very Normandy-by-way-of-California.
- 5
Gentle simmer: add 6 cup Vegetable stock (or light mushroom stock), the chopped soaked porcini, and about 2 cups (the soaking water from rehydrating dried porcini) cup Porcini soaking liquid (leave behind any last sediment). Bring just to a simmer. Stir in 3/4 cup Pearled farro and simmer gently, partially covered, until farro is tender-chewy, 20–25 minutes.
25 min
Tip: Keep it at a lazy simmer. A hard boil makes mushrooms rubbery and broth cloudy.
- 6
Season and brighten: remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in 1 tsp Soy sauce or tamari (if using). Taste, then add 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper as needed. Add 1 tsp Lemon zest and 1 1/2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice.
2 min
Tip: Acid goes in before the butter swirl so the finish tastes lifted, not flat.
- 7
Finish with beurre monté (butter-swirl): reduce heat to low so the soup is hot but not boiling. Whisk in remaining 4 tbsp Unsalted butter cold butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until the broth looks glossy and lightly emulsified.
3 min
Tip: If it boils, the emulsion can break. Think: steaming-hot, not raging.
- 8
Serve: ladle into warm bowls. Shower with 1/3 cup Flat-leaf parsley (and the sautéed ‘pretty’ mushrooms if you did them). Optional: a tiny dollop of 1 tbsp Crème fraîche per bowl for peak bistro mood.
2 min
Tip: This is lunch-friendly with a hunk of sourdough, and Sunday-supper-perfect with a glass of Jura-style chardonnay or a light Pinot.
Chef's Notes
I wrote this soup after a foggy Saturday at the farmers market when a mushroom guy handed me a bag that smelled like redwoods and rain. The trick isn’t cream—it’s patience (gentle simmer) and that last-minute beurre monté that turns broth into silk. If you’re making it ahead, stop before the butter-swirl, reheat gently, then whisk in cold butter right before serving so it tastes freshly made.
Marguerite Lavigne
French soul, California sun
I grew up in a small village outside Lyon, where my grandmother taught me that the best meals come from respecting your ingredients. After training at Le Cordon Bleu and spending years in Parisian kitchens, I moved to San Francisco and fell in love with California's farmers markets and wine country. Now I cook the food I wish my grandmother could taste—French technique with California abundance, where a perfect roast chicken might come with Meyer lemon and wild fennel instead of tarragon.