Farro Bowl – A Couple Cooks

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This hearty farro bowl recipe is full of Mediterranean flavors! Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, briny olives, and a creamy dressing make a satisfying grain bowl that’s the proper meal for summer time or any season.

Farro bowl recipe in bowl with tomatoes, hummus dressing, and lemons around

It’s no secret that bowl meals are an excellent satisfying, enjoyable solution to eat all of the veggies. Right here’s Alex and my newest in a stream of simple dinner concepts: the hearty farro bowl! It’s our ideally suited Mediterranean food plan dinner or lunch, pairing plump grains of farro with tangy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, salty olives, and seasoned chickpeas.

The icing on the cake (er, bowl) is our new innovation: hummus dressing! It’s so easy to make a sauce utilizing hummus, which you’ll or could not have readily available. It comes out creamy and bursting with taste with solely 3 elements—sort of a like a tahini sauce, however even simpler. This one is on repeat in our kitchen: and we hope will probably be in yours!

Elements on this farro bowl recipe

This farro bowl is a spin on a traditional grain bowl: a meal constructed round a complete grain, veggies. a sauce, and protein. Now we have recipes for a rice bowl and plenty quinoa bowl recipes, however that is the primary official farro grain bowl in our recipe library. Listed here are the important elements for this farro bowl:

Farro is a complete grain that can be utilized as a substitute for rice, barley or different grains. It’s truly an historic grain that has been eaten because the Roman instances! We find it irresistible for its chewy texture and nutty taste.
Recent herbs, olive oil, and garlic: These important elements are for flavoring each the farro and the chickpeas. We like to make use of parsley, dill or cilantro.
Chickpeas: Chickpeas are the plant-based protein right here. You too can use different proteins like tofu, shrimp, or hen.
Cucumber, tomato, and Kalamata olives: These Mediterranean-style greens have huge, daring taste. Substitute different uncooked veggies if desired!
Feta cheese: It’s not required (omit for vegan), however feta provides a pleasant salty counterpoint to the flavors.
Greens (non-compulsory): We used a handful of child arugula, however different greens like spinach, butter lettuce, or romaine work properly.
Hummus dressing: The very best a part of this bowl in our opinion! It’s creamy and irresistible hummus, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Suggestions for the hummus dressing

If you happen to’re making the hummus dressing, ensure to make use of a top quality model of hummus! We propose steering away from the favored Sabra model: the flavour has a robust chemical aftertaste (probably because of the citric acid used as a preservative, a minimum of in line with Reddit).

Regardless of the case, use a hummus model with a creamy, tangy and clean taste. Experiment to discover a model you like.

Variations: sauce and vegetable concepts

This farro bowl is ideal for wholesome dinner concepts or wholesome lunch concepts, and it’s simply customizable to your tastes and dietary wants! It’s sort of like making your individual Candy Inexperienced menu (one in all our favourite restaurant ideas for bowl meals). Listed here are some concepts for various the elements:

After all, you can too fluctuate the entire grain, particularly when you’re cooking for gluten-free eaters. For gluten-free, use quinoa or rice.

Protein adders

One other solution to customise this farro bowl recipe is with including completely different proteins! It presently makes use of chickpeas as a plant-based protein, however we’ve discovered this typically is just not sufficient for hungry eaters (particularly when you’re serving it for dinner). Listed here are just a few protein adders we love:

Storing leftovers and make forward notes

This farro bowl recipe is straightforward to make forward. You can also make the farro as much as 3 days prematurely, the chickpeas as much as 1 to 2 days prematurely (open chickpeas are solely good for as much as 3 days), and the hummus dressing 1 week prematurely. Refrigerate all parts individually. We urged chopping the recent greens straight earlier than serving.

Extra farro recipes

There are such a lot of enjoyable methods to eat farro! This primary farro recipe is a good facet dish, and you can too use it in farro with mushrooms, farro salad, or farro soup.

Dietary notes

This farro bowl recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, omit the feta cheese. For gluten-free, use quinoa or rice.

Continuously requested questions

What’s farro, and why ought to I take advantage of it on this bowl?

Farro is an historic grain with a chewy texture and nutty taste. It’s full of fiber and protein, making it a hearty and satisfying base for this bowl. It additionally holds up properly when blended with different elements, so your bowl received’t get soggy.

Can I take advantage of a special grain if I don’t have farro?

Completely! If you happen to can’t discover farro or need to strive one thing completely different, you’ll be able to substitute it with quinoa, brown rice, barley, and even couscous. Simply regulate the cooking time accordingly.

Can I make this bowl forward of time?

Sure, you’ll be able to! The farro and chickpeas could be cooked prematurely and saved individually within the fridge. The dressing will also be ready forward of time. Assemble the bowls simply earlier than serving to maintain the greens recent and crunchy.

How can I customise this bowl to my liking?

Be happy to get artistic! You possibly can add different greens like roasted pink peppers, grilled zucchini, or chopped kale. You too can swap the feta for goat cheese or omit it for a vegan choice. Experiment with completely different herbs and spices to alter up the flavour profile.

Description

This hearty farro bowl recipe is full of Mediterranean flavors! Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, briny olives, and a creamy dressing make a satisfying grain bowl that’s the proper meal for summer time or any season.

For the farro

1 cup raw farro, pearled or semi-pearled (not complete)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons chopped recent 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 every cumin and coriander
¼ teaspoon every 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 child greens (like arugula)
Feta cheese, to serve (non-compulsory)

Hummus Dressing

½ cup top quality hummus (keep away from Sabra)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice (extra water if essential)

Rinse the farro beneath chilly water in a nice mesh strainer. In a big saucepan, place the farro, 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt and produce it to a boil. Scale back the warmth to a simmer, cowl, and prepare dinner till the grains are tender, about 15 to twenty minutes for pearled farro and 25 to half-hour for semi-pearled farro. Style take a look at a grain to see whether it is tender (if the bundle is unmarked, simply prepare dinner till tender). Drain any extra water. Add the extra ¼ teaspoon salt and olive oil or butter. Stir within the minced garlic and herbs. Style and add further salt if desired.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mince the garlic. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, onion powder, and salt. In a big skillet, warmth the olive oil over medium warmth. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute till aromatic however earlier than it browns. Add the chickpeas, spices, salt, and several other grinds of black pepper. Cook dinner 2 minutes till warmed by way of.
Make the hummus dressing by mixing collectively the elements in a medium bowl. Style and if desired, you’ll be able to add a pinch or two of salt or sugar.
Place the inexperienced in a shallow bowl (if utilizing), then the farro, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, and olives. High with feta cheese, if utilizing, and drizzle with hummus dressing.

Class: Essential dish
Technique: Stovetop
Delicacies: Mediterranean
Weight-reduction plan: Vegetarian