What Is the Best Way to Cook Farro?

What Is the Best Way to Cook Farro?

If you've recently discovered the incredible health benefits of farro and are wondering how you can incorporate it into your weekly menu, then you're in the right spot. Farro is an excellent way to add more whole grains, protein and fiber into your diet. Plus, it's incredibly convenient to make. One of the oldest cultivated grains around, farro has been cooked and eaten for centuries. Initially discovered in the Middle East, it is now a worldwide groat that is used in a variety of different dishes.

What Does Farro Look Like?

Now that you've decided to start adding farro to your recipes, you'll want to know what to look for when scouring the grocery store isles. With a shape similar to brown rice, farro has a golden brown hue and a nutty flavor. Upon cooking, a chewy texture is created, making it the perfect protein-packed substitute in numerous dishes. Use farro as a substitute for rice, or add it into your favorite salads and soups. Or, for a more surprising treat, swap it for oatmeal to create a unique breakfast dish.

How to Choose Farro

What Is the Best Way to Cook Farro? | Bob's Red Mill Blog While all farro is excellent for your health, there are three main varieties of farroeach with different tastes. Keep scrolling to learn more about these varieties to help you better determine which type of farro to use in your next recipe.

Whole Farro

Whole farro is much like how it sounds, whole. The grain of the farro is left intact. Because this farro is a whole grain, it also provides more nutrients per serving. Leaving the grain intact produces a more robust flavor and texture. Additionally, whole farro takes longer to cook, as there is more to it. Generally, farro can be cooked in about 30 minutes.

Semi-Pearled Farro

When creating semi-pearled farro, a section of the bran is removed from the grain. While the grain still contains a portion of the fiber, not all nutrients remain, and the taste is slightly lighter than that of the whole farro. Additionally, semi-pearled farro can be cooked to full more quickly.

Pearled Farro

Though still packed with nutrients, all of the bran and husk is removed from the grain when creating pearled farro. Doing so makes a quick-cooking grain that can be used in a wide variety of flavored dishes.

Methods of Cooking Farro

What Is the Best Way to Cook Farro? | Bob's Red Mill Blog There are many different ways you can whip up a delicious bowl of farro in no time. Keep scrolling to discover how to cook your next farro recipe to perfection.

Pre-cook Preparation

Toast Your Farro First

For a more intense flavor and texture, try roasting your farro before you cook it. In fact, toasting your groans for more flavor not only works for farro. Quinoa, wheat berries and freekeh can be toasted as well. To do so, there are two methods:

Method 1: Baking sheet

Simply spread your farro grains evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast at 350F until they are lightly browned.

Method 2: Skillet

Additionally, you can use a skillet to toast your grains. Add your farro to a dry skillet and cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until they are lightly browned.

Soak Your Farro

Before cooking your farro, we recommend first sprouting your grains. Sprouting farro can be achieved by soaking your grains in water, vinegar and salt. While this may seem like an unnecessary step, it will ensure that your farro is cooked to perfection, producing a delicious flavor. To sprout your grains properly, place your farro in a medium bowl with a lid. Cover the farro with at least three inches of water, a dash of salt and a splash of vinegar. Place the top on the bowl, and let your grains soak for 8 to 24 hours. Your grains are now ready to be cooked!

How to Cook Farro

What Is the Best Way to Cook Farro? | Bob's Red Mill Blog Now that you've prepped your farro for cooking, it's time to cook it! Cooking farro is similar to cooking pasta or rice. Follow this step-by-step guide to cook your farro to perfection.

Step 1:

Prepare a medium-sized pot with water and salt and bring to a boil.

Step 2:

Add in your pre-soaked or toasted farro to the pot. Make sure that the farro is covered by a few inches of water.

Step 3:

Next, add some aromatics. Spices, herbs, onions and shallots can all be added at this step to boost the flavor of the dish.

Step 4:

After adding the aromatics, bring the farro to a simmer and stir occasionally. Your farro will be fully cooked and ready to eat in 20-30 minutes, depending on the farro you've chosen.

Step 5:

Once your grains are fully cooked, drain out the remaining water. After the water has been drained, spread the farro onto a baking sheet to chill and dry. Drying your grains before adding sauces will help them soak up the flavors better. It's also a necessary step if you plan on saving some of the farro to enjoy for later.

Step 6:

Add toppings and sauce to your farro and enjoy! Or, if you're not using your grains right away, be sure to store them in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pressure Cooking

Have a pressure cooker? Cook your farro in it! To cook farro in a pressure cooker, first pour your farro into your pressure cooker and cover with about an inch of water. Next, set your pressure cooker to cook at high pressure for about 30 minutes. Once your farro has fully cooked, allow it to sit for ten minutes before releasing the pressure. Lastly, release all the pressure, remove your farro, and strain any excess water, then serve and enjoy!

All About Aromatics

When it comes to cooking farro, it's important to note that this grain will soak up whatever you decide to add into the water while it's cooking. Herbs, spices, onion and garlic are just a few of the many aromatics you can add to your dish during the cooking process. Besides filling your pot with herbs and spices, you can also choose to cook your grains in chicken or vegetable stock rather than water. Doing so will ensure that your farro turns out as flavorful as ever.

Farro Recipes

What Is the Best Way to Cook Farro? | Bob's Red Mill Blog Now that you know how to cook farro to perfection, it's time to put what you've learned to the test. Keep scrolling to discover some tasty farro recipes that we enjoy making regularly.

Make Farro Risotto

Turn your farro into a flavorful risotto. Farro is an excellent substitute for white rice. Make this tasty Farro Risotto by mixing this grain with golden beets and fried shallots for a satisfying dish to please everyone at the dinner table. The perfect dish for fall; it's healthy, filling and absolutely beautiful.

Turn Farro Into a Dressing

Who said farro had to be a meal? Instead of turning farro into a filling dish, turn it into a delicious dressing. As a wheat relative, farro offers you a relatively chewy texture that works perfectly when creating a delectable sauce. As an impressive dish, this Farro Apple Dressing is ideal for bringing to your next gathering. Use it atop of a healthy green salad, mix into a sweet and savory grain bowl, or drizzle it on your favorite sandwich. The many ways you can use this dressing are endless!

Whip up a Farro Veggie Burger

Craving a mouthwatering burger, but looking to cut back on meat? Make one of these tasty Farro Veggie Burgers. Loaded with nutrients and flavor, the ingredients in this recipe bind together to create the ideal burger texture. They're the perfect dish to bring to a backyard barbecue or to make for your next Meatless Monday meal.

Turn Farro Into a Comfort Food Like Chili

Recreate healthier versions of your favorite comfort foods with farro. A fall favorite of ours, this Spicy Vegan Farro Chili, is a recipe that nearly everyone will enjoy. Made with simple ingredients, it's the perfect dinner to make as the weather begins to get colder. Warm-up with a bowl of this chili on a cold fall night, or whip up a large batch to bring to your next chili cookoff. And there you have it! A complete guide on everything you need to know about farro. From what it is to how to cook it, we're certain that you'll create a farro dish cooked to perfection if you follow these steps. Choose one of these recipes to make on your own or mix up something new. Whatever you decided to cook, we'd love to hear about it. Let us know how you're using farro in the comments below. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, happy cooking.  
Bob's Red Mill
November 03 2020

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