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.
It’s no secret that bowl meals are a brilliant satisfying, enjoyable strategy to eat all of the veggies. Right here’s Alex and my newest in a stream of straightforward dinner concepts: the hearty farro bowl! It’s my superb Mediterranean weight-reduction 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 my new innovation: hummus dressing! It’s so easy to make a sauce utilizing hummus. It comes out creamy and bursting with taste with solely 3 components—form of a like a tahini sauce, however even simpler. This one is on repeat in our kitchen: and I hope it is going to be in yours, too!
Substances 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. Through the years I’ve created recipes for rice bowls and plenty quinoa bowl recipes, however that is the primary farro grain bowl! Listed below are the important components for this farro bowl:
- Farro is a complete grain that can be utilized as an alternative choice to rice, barley or different grains. It’s really an historic grain that has been eaten because the Roman occasions! I really like its chewy texture and nutty taste.
- Recent herbs, olive oil, and garlic: These important components 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 can too use different proteins like tofu, shrimp, or hen.
- Cucumber, tomato, and Kalamata olives: These Mediterranean-style greens have massive, daring taste. Substitute different uncooked veggies if desired!
- Feta cheese: It provides a pleasant salty counterpoint to the flavors (omit for vegan).
- Greens (non-compulsory): I used a handful of child arugula, however different greens like spinach, butter lettuce, or romaine work properly.
- Hummus dressing: It’s creamy and irresistible, made with hummus, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Ideas for the hummus dressing
If you happen to’re making the hummus dressing, make certain to make use of a high quality model of hummus! We propose steering away from the favored Sabra model: the flavour has a powerful chemical aftertaste (presumably because of the citric acid used as a preservative, no less than based on Reddit).
Regardless of the case, use a hummus model with a creamy, tangy and clean taste. Experiment to discover a model you’re keen on (certainly one of my favorites is Esti hummus).
My favourite sauce and vegetable variations
This farro bowl is ideal as a wholesome dinner thought or wholesome lunch thought, and it’s simply customizable to your tastes and dietary wants! It’s form of like making your individual Candy Inexperienced menu (certainly one of my favourite restaurant ideas for bowl meals). Listed below are some concepts for various the components:
In fact, you can even range the entire grain, particularly if you happen to’re cooking for gluten-free eaters. For gluten-free, use quinoa or rice.
Add protein to make it a essential dish
One other strategy 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 just isn’t sufficient for hungry eaters (particularly if you happen to’re serving it for dinner). Listed below are a number of protein adders we love:
Storing leftovers and make forward notes
This farro bowl recipe is easy to make forward. You can also make the farro as much as 3 days upfront, the chickpeas as much as 1 to 2 days upfront (open chickpeas are solely good for as much as 3 days), and the hummus dressing 1 week upfront.
Refrigerate all elements individually. I instructed chopping the contemporary greens straight earlier than serving.
Often requested questions
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 combined with different components, so your bowl gained’t get soggy.
Completely! If you happen to can’t discover farro or wish 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.
Sure, you’ll be able to! The farro and chickpeas may be cooked upfront and saved individually within the fridge. The dressing can be ready forward of time. Assemble the bowls simply earlier than serving to maintain the greens contemporary and crunchy.
Be at liberty to get inventive! You possibly can add different greens like roasted purple peppers, grilled zucchini, or chopped kale. You can too swap the feta for goat cheese or omit it for a vegan possibility. Experiment with completely different herbs and spices to vary up the flavour profile.
Farro Bowl
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.
- Prep Time: quarter-hour
- Prepare dinner Time: quarter-hour
- Complete Time: half-hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Class: Primary dish
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Mediterranean
- Food regimen: Vegetarian
For the farro
- 1 cup raw farro, pearled or semi-pearled (not complete)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped contemporary 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 mandatory)
- Rinse the farro below chilly water in a wonderful 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 extra 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 a number of other grinds of black pepper. Prepare dinner 2 minutes till warmed via.
- Make the hummus dressing by mixing collectively the components 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.
Just a few extra farro recipes to strive
There are such a lot of enjoyable methods to eat farro! This primary farro recipe is a superb aspect dish, and you can even use it in farro with mushrooms, farro salad, or farro soup.