How to Cook Farro

A Really Good Recipe for Farro

And we mean reeealllly good. This recipe for cooking farro goes from cabinet to table in just about 30 minutes, resulting in fluffy, individual flavorful grains again and again! We love this versatile, healthy carb because it’s budget-friendly, nutrient-dense, and can be incorporated into any meal for an extra bite and heartiness. It’s the perfect swap for rice, barley, or quinoa and it’s arguably lighter so you can eat a good amount without feeling too full.

What is Farro?

Farro is a chewy, quick cooking, whole grain, and rich in flavor! It’s made of three different grains: farro piccolo (einkorn), farro medio (emmer), and farro grande (spelt). If you’re wondering what does farro taste like, as big supporters of farro, we’re here to tell you it’s complex, nutty, toasty, earthy and above all super delicious. Its flavor is reminiscent of other cereal grains when toasted, such as oats. But, is farro good for you? A resounding yes – it contains nutrients like zinc and magnesium, has a good amount of fiber to aid in digestion, and is even considered a good source of protein. For maximum nutrition, we make sure to purchase whole-grain farro. You can find where to buy farro, more commonly of the farro medio (emmer) variety, in your supermarket or local specialty grocery store.

How To Serve Farro

Farro might be our favorite grain for the fall. You can toss it into any soup to bulk it up, such as Vegetable Soup or Green Chicken Chili Soup or swap out the grains in Beef and Barley Soup or Chicken and Rice Soup. For an easy lunch, we like to throw it into salads: Chickpea Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, or Grilled Halloumi Salad. And we can’t forget the importance of a lunch bowl - pack your favorites into a large bowl and call it a meal! Our favorites include Roasted Beets, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Acorn Squash, a filet of Baked Salmon or Easy Harissa Chicken, and toasty farro, topped with a zingy Tahini Sauce. You can also toss the farro by itself with a bright sauce like orange vinaigrette, chimichurri, or our salsa verde. We also love to add it to Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers or for our meat lovers, swap our quinoa for a nice bite in Turkey Stuffed Peppers. This recipe for farro is so versatile, it can even be used for porridges too! We use it in place of grains for Six Ingredient Breakfast Quinoa OR even in Norwegian Risgrøt Rice Porridge. Oh yeah, or you can eat it by itself with a little butter and call it a day!

How To Make Farro

This perfectly chewy, nutty grain is ready in about 30 minutes. Follow our step-by-step recipe below for the best way to cook farro:

1. Cook! The farro cooking ratio to water is about 1 cup of farro to 4 cups of liquid. We love farro because unlike rice or other grains, it’ll puff up easily without soaking up extra liquid and becoming soggy: you can drain whatever is left over for perfectly cooked farro every time. We use chicken stock for extra flavor! If you’re curious about how long to cook farro, it depends on the type: for pearled farro, about 10-15 minutes, for semi-pearled farro, about 20-25 minutes and for whole grain or unprocessed farro, about 30-35 minutes. Pro Tip: for an extra nutty flavor, you can toast your farro with a little bit of oil or butter, until fragrant and light brown, about 3-5 minutes.

2. Fluff! Our favorite step! Remove from the heat and drain excess liquid. Create little pockets of air by using a fork to make fluffy piles of farro. From here, you can toss it into all your favorite recipes, or follow these tips for freezing farro! Spread cooked farro on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Freeze the farro completely, at least 2 hours, before transferring to an airtight freezer container. To reheat, microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, add it frozen to your favorite soup or cook in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium-low heat.

Tools You’ll Need For This Easy Recipe For Farro

• Medium saucepan

• Fork, for fluffing

• Large spoon

• Mesh strainer

• Baking sheet (if freezing)

Looking for Gluten Free Grains?

Many ask, is farro gluten-free, and while we hate to be the bearers of bad news and say that farro doesn’t fall into the category of being gluten-free, there are plenty of delicious options for you to try:

• Perfect Quinoa

• Coconut Rice

• Creamy Polenta

Upgrade Your Grain Game!

We love hearty whole grains! How did you use your farro? Did you find this recipe for how to cook farro simple? Let us know! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!