Porcini Soup with Farro and Mussels

This is a beautiful autumn soup for when the nights start to get chilly. Farro is the grain of a specific species of wheat, but the name is sometimes used interchangeably for barley or spelt as well. Particularly popular in Italy, it is shaped like rice and has a nutty flavour. You should be able to find it in Italian delis, but if you can’t get it you could use pearl barley instead.

Likewise, if you can’t get the porcini mushrooms, use half chestnut mushrooms and half fresh shiitak