How To Cook Farro Ultimate Homemade Guide

Have you heard of the farro , this  ancient grain that has been in fashion for a few years? It is delicious and full of benefits! Here is some information on farro as well as ideas for incorporating it into your menu.

The farro is native to Italy, where it has been cultivated for millennia. It is one of the oldest crops in Europe; in Roman times, this grain was used to feed the majority of the population.

This cereal is part of the same family as wheat, but it looks more like barley Are you a little mixed up? Well you are not alone! There is some confusion in the name given to this cereal. “Farro” is the Italian name, but it is also called “emmer” or “starch”. Besides, it is also sometimes wrongly called “spelled” (a different species). In order to avoid confusion, let’s continue here with the word farro …

Benefits of farro

• The farro brings a very pleasant crunchy texture to a dish, in addition to a taste with subtle notes of cashews and cinnamon.
• This cereal has a very high fiber content, 8 grams per cup (compared to 5 g / cup for brown rice and 2 g / cup for white rice). These fibers help the proper functioning of the digestive and intestinal system, help stabilize the blood sugar level and give a feeling of satiety after meals.
• Farro also contains a lot of protein for a cereal, 7 grams for only 1/4 cup. In comparison, for the same amount of dry cereals, we can count 3 g for white rice, 5 g for bulgur and 7 g for quinoa.
• Farro is particularly rich in vitamin B and magnesium. It also contains iron and zinc.

Ideas for cooking farro

Thanks to its similar texture, farro can replace barley in any recipe. Note that it is eaten both hot and cold. Here are some ideas for incorporating farro into your menu:

• You can taste the farro as an accompaniment. It is enough to cook it in 2 times its volume of liquid, as for rice (1 cup of farro for 2 cups of water or broth). Cooking varies according to your preference: around twenty minutes for a slightly harder grain under the tooth or around thirty minutes for a softer grain. With herbs, salt and pepper, it’s delicious!
• It can also be eaten for breakfast, in yogurt with a little maple syrup and pieces of fruit.
• You can add a handful of farro to any soup, or a handful of farro cooked in a salad to give it an interesting texture.
• You can use the farro to stuff peppers or zucchini.
• You can make a sort of risotto with farro. In this case, we call the dish “farroto”.

For more healthy recipes you can check how to cook chicken with High protein and less fat.

Vegetable and farro soup

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Vegetable and farro soup

We leave this grain too often neglected to make a colorful and nutritious soup!

Cuisine egyptian

Keyword Farro Soup, Vegetable and Farro Soup, Vegetable Farro Soup

Total Time 2 hours 14 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 334kcal

Ingredients

• 5 l water
• 500 g diced potatoes
• 2 pieces large chard leaves, chopped
• 1 piece large chopped cabbage leaf
• 2 pieces chopped leeks
• 100 g thick sliced ​​prosciutto
• 200 g farro
• 200 g borlotti beans
• 1 tbsp Parmesan
• 2 pieces diced tomatoes
• 1 piece garlic clove
• 2 pieces diced zucchini
• 2 pieces diced carrots
• 1 piece large onion, diced
• 20 pieces basil leaves
• 1 tsp parsley
• Olive oil

Instructions

• Soak the beans for 12 hours, covered with hot water.
• Rinse the beans. Cover with 5 L of water; add all the vegetables and the prosciutto. Cook for 2 hours.
• Rinse the farro twice. Drain well, and add to the vegetable and bean mixture. Cook for 50 minutes on low, stirring often.
• Rinse the farro twice. Drain well, and add to the vegetable and bean mixture. Cook for 50 minutes on low, stirring often.
• Prepare a pesto, mixing the basil, parsley, garlic and parmesan, with 4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil. Reserve.
• Remove the prosciutto, dice it and put it back in the soup.
• Add the pesto. Serve with a spray of extra virgin olive oil.

Farro salad with grilled vegetables

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Farro and grilled vegetable salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Farro and grilled vegetable salad, farro salad, vegetable salad

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 265kcal

Ingredients

• 200 g farro
• 1/2 piece diced red pepper
• 1 piece diced zucchini
• 1/2 piece diced eggplant
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil extra virgin

Instructions

• Soak the farro in hot water for 2 hours. Drain. Cook in a large amount of salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, sauté the peppers, zucchini and eggplant in 6 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, until cooked through.
• In a large bowl, combine the farro, cooked vegetables, salt and pepper.
• Drizzle with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Can be served hot or cold.

Farro with vegetables and goat cheese

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Farro with vegetables and goat cheese

Cuisine egyptian

Keyword Farro with goat cheese, Farro with vegetables and goat cheese

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 256kcal

Ingredients

• 250 g farro
• 1 piece bell pepper
• 1 piece eggplant
• 1 piece carrot
• 1 tbsp chopped celery leaves
• 1 tsp thyme
• 50 ml dry white wine
• olive oil extra virgin
• Olive oil with basil
• Salt
• pepper
• 125 g goat cheese

Instructions

• In a large amount of salted water, cook the farro uncovered for about 35 minutes. Drain, and mix with 1 tsp. olive oil. Put aside.
• Finely chop the vegetables.
• In a large saucepan, heat 2 tsp. olive oil. Add the vegetables and sauté for a few minutes. Do not brown. Add the wine, celery leaves and thyme. Let the liquid evaporate at low intensity. Remove them.
• In a large bowl, combine the farro, vegetables and 2 tbsp. olive oil with basil.
• To serve, divide the farro salad on serving plates. Add a few pieces of goat cheese to each salad. Add a generous amount of pepper and leave under a hot grill for 1 minute.
• Serve immediately, with baguette bread.

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Farro with herbs and tomatoes

Keyword Farro with herbs, Farro with herbs and tomatoes, Farro with tomatoes

Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 221kcal

Ingredients

• 300 g farro
• 1 piece large onion, finely chopped
• 1 piece Chopped parsley
• 1 piece Chopped rosemary
• 2 pieces medium-sized tomatoes, cut into pieces
• Grated parmesan
• 1/2 piece dry white wine
• 1 piece Zest of a grated lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 piece Ground pepper

Instructions

• To prepare the farro, swell it in water for 2 hours. Cook in salted boiling water for 15 minutes; drain.
• In a large saucepan, heat 3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil at medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are transparent.
• Add the farro and mix well. Add the glass of wine and mix, until the wine has completely evaporated. Add enough broth to cover the farro and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, stirring constantly.
• Add broth again, to cover, and cook like this, until the farro is ready.
• Add all the herbs and parmesan. Mix well. Gently add the chopped tomatoes and grated lemon zest.
• Serve in small portions. Add a spray of extra virgin olive oil.

Lentil and farro soup

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Lentil and farro soup

A truly healthy and energizing soup, which requires only 5 ingredients.

Cuisine egyptian, Italian

Keyword Lentil and farro soup, Lentil soup

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 2

Calories 333kcal

Ingredients

• 200 g green lentils
• 4 pieces large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 l vegetable broth
• 100 g farro
• Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Rinse the farro, and cook it in boiling salted water for 30 minutes. Drain, then set aside.
• In a large saucepan, cook the lentils in the vegetable broth, until they are puffy and fluffy.
• Add the diced potatoes and cook for 20 minutes more. Puree in a blender, and return to the pan.
• Stir in the farro and reheat for 10 minutes.
• Serve with a few spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil on each serving.

We hope that you know how to cook farro!