A simple and delicious way to cook Farro
Learn how easy it is to cook Farro on the stovetop with simple ingredients to create a delicious side dish. This healthy grain is full of nutrients and cooks like most ancient grains.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared an article about Farro and how nutritious this wonderful grain is. Although there are many recipes on the web about Farro, this recipe is straightforward and does not require much time. Like most grains, Farro makes a great side dish. It is also great in salads, stews, and soups.
Adding ingredients to Farro for a simple meal
Adding flavor to grains may sound complicated. But is it not! I am not referring to salt and pepper, the most common spices. I am talking about onion and garlic. If you cook your rice with garlic and onion, you will know what I am talking about. If not, you need to try it once.
Onion is a base for stews, sauces, and soups. Does it matter which type of onion you use? Of course, it matters. Red onion, like most onions, adds a subtle sweetness and acidity. The longer you cook an onion, the sweeter it will become.
Shallots, spring onions, and green onions (scallions) belong to the onion family, the same as garlic. Adding any of these ingredients will bolster your food. Adding them as finishing in salads, for example, is an excellent option if you’re looking for more flavoring.
Is farro the same as cooking rice?
In flavor, yes, but it depends on the recipe if we’re talking about the grains themselves, not in particular.
There are several types of rice, and each may or may not have the same cooking time. For example, white rice cook time is much faster than brown rice. White rice can usually cook for 20 minutes. Whereas brown rice, red rice, or even wild rice takes much longer to cook.
The term farro can be applied to three different types of ancient wheat grains: spelt, emmer, and einkorn. Packages imported from Italy may be labeled with farro grande for spelt, farro medio for emmer, and farro piccolo for einkorn; emmer is the most common variety found in U.S. stores. Additionally, you can purchase farro whole, the most nutritious option; semi-pearled, with portions of the bran removed; or pearled, with all of the bran removed for the quickest-cooking variety. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-farro-3378635
Why add onion and garlic?
This recipe is one of my favorite way to cook all healthy grains. It is simple, and I always have both onion and garlic in my pantry. Cooking grains is a familiar ritual in my family. We eat different types of grains each week.
Grains are a great source of protein, with many health benefits, and are recommended daily. When you eat grains as much as we do, you become creative with taste and flavor. Who wants to eat rice or Farro flavored with salt and pepper only?
The daily serving of grains is six servings as recommended by the American Heart Association. In Caribbean cuisine, you will mostly find rice, bulgur wheat, corn, and millet. All these grains are part of our food consumption. So cooking any of these grains is vital for our health.
A 3-to-5-course meal every day of the week is typical in Caribbean cuisine. You will always find some grains on the table at dinner time and even lunchtime.
Let’s talk about this wholesome grain recipe
Because Farro is a good source of protein and fiber, cooking this nutty-flavored grain has to be simple. The first tip is not to overcook Farro.
You can soak the Farro the night before in cold water in the refrigerator, but it is unnecessary. The grains take about 25 – 35 to cook without soaking, and I usually skip this step.
In my opinion, this super grain is very filling. My cooking method is different. For this recipe, I use 2 cups of Farro and 2 cups of water. Both the garlic cloves and the red onion are cooked for a few minutes in olive oil. Then the Farro is added and cooked for about 1 – 2 minutes, stirring. The water follows (only warm water) and is brought to a quick boil. Once the water has almost evaporated, the fire is lowered to low. Cover the pot and let the grains cook until chewy about 8 – 10 minutes. A total of 30 – 35 minutes.
I cook this super grain the same way as I cook rice and it works for me. I don’t see the point of throwing the cooking water away. Just reduce the water and let the grains cook. This method has worked for me and will work for you as well. Just don’t cook it on high heat, and you must use a good pot. There’s no reason to discard flavor.
Sources
What’s the Difference Between Scallions, Green Onions, and Spring Onions?: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-sweet-yel-130223
What’s the Difference? Yellow, White, and Red Onions: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-spring-onions-scallions-and-green-onions-word-of-mouth-217111
What is Farro: https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-farro-3378635
Farro with Red Onion and Fresh Garlic
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups farro
- 2 cups water (warm preferably)
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil Report this ad
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 small red onion sliced
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven pot, add oil, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes under medium-high heat stirring occasionally.
- While the onion and garlic are cooking, place the farro into a sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain.
- Pour the farro unto the pot and stir. Let the mixture cook for about 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add water salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat
- Once the liquid has almost evaporated, reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes until it is tender but still chewy. If you need to add more water, add only ¼ of a cup and not more if you don’t want to strain it again and not to overcook the Farro.
- Cook under low heat until fully cooked and chewy.
- If you soak the Farro overnight, cooking time will be much shorter and you will have to drain the water.
Notes
Cooking time will depend on the type of farro, age of the grain, your pot, other ingredients and let’s not forget harvested time and quality.
A good pot and low heat are required so the bottom grains don’t get stuck to the pot and start to turn brown.
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
