More farro recipes
There are so many fun ways to eat farro! This basic farro recipe is a great side dish, and you can also use it in farro with mushrooms, farro salad, or farro soup. The icing on the cake (er, bowl) is our new innovation: hummus dressing! It’s so simple to make a sauce using hummus, which you may or may not have on hand. It comes out creamy and bursting with flavor with only 3 ingredients—kind of a like a tahini sauce, but even easier. This one is on repeat in our kitchen: and we hope it will be in yours!
Ingredients in this farro bowl recipe
This farro bowl is a spin on a classic grain bowl: a meal built around a whole grain, veggies. a sauce, and protein. We have recipes for a rice bowl and lots quinoa bowl recipes, but this is the first official farro grain bowl in our recipe library. Here are the essential ingredients for this farro bowl:
Farro is a whole grain that can be used as an alternative to rice, barley or other grains. It’s actually an ancient grain that has been eaten since the Roman times! We love it for its chewy texture and nutty flavor. Fresh herbs, olive oil, and garlic: These essential ingredients are for flavoring both the farro and the chickpeas. We like to use parsley, dill or cilantro. Chickpeas: Chickpeas are the plant-based protein here. You can also use other proteins like tofu, shrimp, or chicken. Cucumber, tomato, and Kalamata olives: These Mediterranean-style vegetables have big, bold flavor. Substitute other raw veggies if desired! Feta cheese: It’s not required (omit for vegan), but feta adds a nice salty counterpoint to the flavors. Greens (optional): We used a handful of baby arugula, but other greens like spinach, butter lettuce, or romaine work well. Hummus dressing: The best part of this bowl in our opinion! It’s creamy and irresistible hummus, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Whatever the case, use a hummus brand with a creamy, tangy and smooth flavor. Experiment to find a brand you love.
Swap in other fresh veggies like bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, corn, Make roasted vegetables like these roasted vegetables or the ones in this Mediterranean bowl Use goat cheese crumbles or Parmesan instead of feta cheese Use other sauces like tahini sauce, cucumber sauce, lemon dill sauce, cilantro lime ranch, or vegan cilantro sauce.
Of course, you can also vary the whole grain, especially if you’re cooking for gluten-free eaters. For gluten-free, use quinoa or rice.
Chicken like grilled chicken, pan seared chicken breast, Parmesan crusted chicken, or chicken nuggets Shrimp like sauteed shrimp, grilled shrimp, or shrimp kabobs Salmon like baked salmon, pan seared salmon, or grilled salmon Tofu like baked tofu, crispy tofu, or breaded tofu
Frequently asked questions
5 from 2 reviews
1 cup uncooked farro, pearled or semi-pearled (not whole) ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill or cilantro) 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
For the bowl
15-ounce can chickpeas 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon each cumin and coriander ¼ teaspoon each smoked paprika and onion powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1 English cucumber, chopped 1 handful olives, sliced in half 1 handful baby greens (like arugula) Feta cheese, to serve (optional)
Hummus Dressing
½ cup high quality hummus (avoid Sabra) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice (more water if necessary)
