One-Pot Cabbage with Mushrooms, Walnuts & Farro
Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main, 1 if you’re carbo-loading.
Ingredients
Olive oil – 2-3 tbsp
Mushrooms – 12-16 oz, torn into smaller pieces
Onion – 1 medium, moderate sized slices (could use red)
Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
Cabbage – ½ medium head (red, green, napa, up to you), sliced to the same width as the onion.
Butter – 2 tbsp
Fresh thyme – 4–5 sprigs (or 1 tsp dried)
Smoked paprika – 1 tsp
Farro – ½ cup, rinsed, not cooked
Stock – 2 cups (veggie or chicken, ideally low-sodium - mushroom broth is a good plus up)
Walnuts – ½- 3/4 cup, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley – Small handful, chopped
Sour cream – for serving (a generous dollop)
Salt & pepper – to taste
Instructions
1. Sauté the Mushrooms
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a big skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Let them sit undisturbed at first—this is how you get browning, not steaming. Stir occasionally and cook until golden and shrunk down, about 7–8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté the Onion Base
Add the other tbsp of olive oil. Toss in your onion and sauté for 5–6 minutes until soft and getting golden. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika. Let everything mingle for about a minute.
3. Wilt the Cabbage
Add the sliced cabbage and butter. Sauté for 5–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cabbage starts to soften and shrink down. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add Farro & Stock
Now add the uncooked farro and pour in 2 cups of stock. Stir it all up. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the farro is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If things get dry before the farro’s done, just splash in a bit more stock or water.
5. Mushrooms Return
Once the farro is ready, stir the mushrooms back in and warm everything through—2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Finishing Touches
Off the heat, stir in the chopped walnuts and parsley. Take a proud moment here—you made this whole thing in one pot.
7. Serve It Up
Dish it into bowls, plop on that sour cream, and maybe add a few extra walnuts or a crack of black pepper for drama.
Options
Want it creamier? Stir in a spoonful of sour cream directly at the end instead of just dolloping.
Store leftovers in the fridge—reheats like a champ and might even taste better tomorrow.
Add cooked white beans when ready-adding the mushrooms. If you cooked the beans at home, use the bean broth instead of the stock.