16 Ways to Eat More Farro

Eva Kolenko

Ancient grains such as quinoa, spelt, and barley have had their time in the spotlight, and now it is time to let farro shine. A semi-pearled form of chewy, earthy emmer wheat, farro is easy to make, a perfect base (or accent) for salads, and a great alternative to rice for dishes like risotto. Here are 16 delicious ways to eat more farro.

Farro Salad with Radishes, Snap Peas, Olives, and Pecorino

Farro adds an earthy heartiness to the fresh, crunchy vegetables, salty olives, and cheese in this salad (pictured above).

Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro

This soul-satisfying winter hash recipe from F&W Best New Chefs 2009 Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo combines crispy sunchokes, silky oyster mushrooms, tender kale, and chewy farro. It's wonderful served with grilled steak or on its own as a meatless main course.

? Con Poulos

Restoration Salad with Farro, Orange, and Blue Cheese

This light-but-satisfying antidote to holiday feasting combines farro with shaved Brussels sprouts, pungent blue cheese, and toasted walnuts. Juicy orange sections, orange juice-plumped golden raisins, and a white balsamic dressing add sweetness and bright, refreshing notes.

Short Rib Farrotto with Carrots and Parsnips

In this recipe from chef Marco Canora, farro is cooked in the style of risotto with carrot, parsnip, onion, beef broth, red wine, and browned chunks of boneless short rib.

? Con Poulos

Triple-Pea and Asparagus Salad with Feta-Mint Dressing

In this spring produce tour de force from cookbook author Hetty McKinnon, blanched peas mingle with pan-fried sugar snaps, snow peas, and asparagus spears cooked on high heat until just tender-crisp with the slightest hint of char. Farro adds a distinctly chewy, nutty texture, and the whole is brought together with a salty, lemony, and herbaceous feta-mint dressing.

Caitlin Bensel

Farro and Sausage Parmigiano

In this clever dish, farro gets simmered in a slow cooker with tomatoes and sausage until thick and hearty. To finish, the dish is broiled with fresh mozzarella and Parmesan then topped with lemon and herbed panko for a bright, crunchy finish.

? John Kernick

Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Crispy roasted root vegetables like parsnips and celery root add an earthy, caramelized depth to this simple grain salad made with tender, chewy farro.

David Malosh

Cheesy Farro and Tomato Risotto

Celebrated sommelier-turned-winemaker Rajat Parr improvised this vibrant risotto when trying to feed a bunch of hungry friends in his San Francisco apartment with the bag of farro and can of tomatoes he scrounged from his pantry.

? LUCY SCHAEFFER

Farro Breakfast Porridge with Raspberries

Missy Robbins, the chef at Lilia in Brooklyn, mixes up her morning breakfast routine with farro porridge, which she tops with a superspeedy and delicious sauce made with frozen raspberries and honey.

? Constantine Poulos

Farro Salad with Turnips and Greens

If Tamar Adler finds turnips with their greens still attached, she makes the most of them by incorporating both parts of the vegetable in this hearty grain salad. If the turnip greens aren't sufficient, or if they're unavailable, she supplements them with mustard greens or Swiss chard.

? Michael Turek

Farro and Green Olive Salad with Walnuts and Raisins

This recipe from famed food blogger and cookbook author Heidi Swanson was named by Food & Wine as one of our 40 best in 2018. The secret is in the balance: Each bite holds a bit of chewy farro, toasty walnut, fresh scallion, and briny green olive. Swanson's dressing is a little sweet and a little spicy, and, put together, it's an explosion of flavor and texture that's unbeatable.

? Greg DuPree

Sausage Fried Farro with Shiitake, Radishes, and Scallions

This meal-in-one recipe is chef Stuart Brioza's inventive take on pork fried rice. Instead of stirring in the usual scrambled egg, Brioza tops the dish with an oozy poached egg.

? Chris Court

Farro with Vinegar-Glazed Sweet Potato and Apples

Boston-area chef Michael Scelfo roasts sweet potato and apples with a little sherry vinegar and tosses them with farro, dried cherries, and roasted cashews for a hearty cold-weather dish.

? Con Poulos This easy weeknight dinner dish practically screams fall. Roasting sweet potatos and apples with a little sherry vinegar and tossing them with farro, dried cherries and roasted cashews makes for a hearty cool-weather dish that you'll want to keep making all season long

Peach, Tomato, and Fried Farro Salad with Burrata

This salad is bursting with summer produce. Juicy peaches and even juicier tomatoes are paired with hunks of creamy burrata, arugula, thinly sliced red onion, and a simple vinaigrette. Fried grains of cooked farro are sprinkled on top. When fried, Ann Taylor Pittman writes, "the grains are fantastically crunchy, like tiny Corn Nuts, with an irresistible nutty-earthy flavor."

? Jen Causey

Toasted Farro with Greens and Tahini

Chef Kevin Gillespie toasts cooked farro in a skillet which gives it a sweet, toasty flavor reminiscent of popcorn. Greens are stirred in, then herbs, tahini, and lemon juice. The dish is then finished with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.

? Lucy Schaeffer

Farro Tabbouleh with Burst Tomatoes

F&W's Gail Simmons, of Top Chef fame, chars cut limes on the grill to make the smoky dressing for this variation on classic tabbouleh.