This hearty farro bowl recipe is filled with Mediterranean flavors! Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, briny olives, and a creamy dressing make a satisfying grain bowl that’s the right 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 simple dinner concepts: the hearty farro bowl! It’s our superb 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 might not have readily available. It comes out creamy and bursting with taste with solely 3 substances—type of a like a tahini sauce, however even simpler. This one is on repeat in our kitchen: and we hope it is going to be in yours!
Substances on this farro bowl recipe
This farro bowl is a spin on a traditional grain bowl: a meal constructed round an entire grain, veggies. a sauce, and protein. We’ve got recipes for a rice bowl and plenty quinoa bowl recipes, however that is the primary official farro grain bowl in our recipe library. Listed below are the important substances for this farro bowl:
- Farro is an entire grain that can be utilized as an alternative choice to rice, barley or different grains. It’s really an historical grain that has been eaten because the Roman instances! We adore it for its chewy texture and nutty taste.
- Contemporary herbs, olive oil, and garlic: These important substances 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 may also use different proteins like tofu, shrimp, or rooster.
- Cucumber, tomato, and Kalamata olives: These Mediterranean-style greens have massive, 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 perfect a part of this bowl in our opinion! It’s creamy and irresistible hummus, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Suggestions for the hummus dressing
For those who’re making the hummus dressing, make sure that to make use of a top quality model of hummus! We recommend steering away from the favored Sabra model: the flavour has a powerful chemical aftertaste (probably as a result of citric acid used as a preservative, at the very least in keeping with Reddit).
Regardless of the case, use a hummus model with a creamy, tangy and easy taste. Experiment to discover a model you’re keen on.
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 type of like making your personal Candy Inexperienced menu (considered one of our favourite restaurant ideas for bowl meals). Listed below are some concepts for various the substances:
In fact, you can even differ the entire grain, particularly if you happen to’re cooking for gluten-free eaters. For gluten-free, use quinoa or rice.
Protein adders
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 generally isn’t sufficient for hungry eaters (particularly if you happen to’re serving it for dinner). Listed below are a couple of protein adders we love:
Storing leftovers and make forward notes
This farro bowl recipe is easy to make forward. You may 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 parts individually. We recommended chopping the recent greens immediately 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 even use it in farro with mushrooms, farro salad, or farro soup.
Regularly requested questions
Farro is an historical grain with a chewy texture and nutty taste. It’s filled with fiber and protein, making it a hearty and satisfying base for this bowl. It additionally holds up properly when blended with different substances, so your bowl received’t get soggy.
Completely! For those who can’t discover farro or wish to strive one thing completely different, you may substitute it with quinoa, brown rice, barley, and even couscous. Simply modify the cooking time accordingly.
Sure, you may! The farro and chickpeas could be cooked upfront 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.
Be happy to get artistic! You possibly can add different greens like roasted crimson peppers, grilled zucchini, or chopped kale. You may also swap the feta for goat cheese or omit it for a vegan choice. Experiment with completely different herbs and spices to vary up the flavour profile.
Description
This hearty farro bowl recipe is filled with Mediterranean flavors! Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, briny olives, and a creamy dressing make a satisfying grain bowl that’s the right 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 mandatory)
- Rinse the farro beneath chilly water in a high-quality 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. Cut 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 check 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 several other grinds of black pepper. Prepare dinner 2 minutes till warmed by.
- Make the hummus dressing by mixing collectively the substances in a medium bowl. Style and if desired, you may 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: Most important dish
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Mediterranean
- Food regimen: Vegetarian