farro with roasted vegetables, lemon, and feta
Let me introduce you to my new friend, farro.
I'm sure you've tried bulgar, quinoa, amaranth, and maybe freekeh, Farro is one of the ancient grains and is, in fact, my new favorite. It's got a bit of a nutty flavor (sweet Lord, that is the worst description ever but I'm lacking a better one) and cooks in 30 minutes. Farro is firmer than brown rice and has a more flavorful taste than quinoa. Also, like many ancient grains, it packs a dose of protein.
Whenever the Man Friend goes out of town, I usually go on a vegetarian binge. Since he rarely eats vegetables or enjoys "just" soup for dinner like I do, I splurge on meatless meals. I've wanted to try farro for the longest time...and he happened to be out of town this week for work.
Our new neighbors are awesome - they like good food, good booze, and good laughs. They've really made Pittsburgh feel more like home to me. After chatting yesterday evening, the subject of dinner came up. They mentioned leftovers from their recent camping trip, I mentioned the recipe below. When it came out SO much better than I'd ever expected, I offered to share with them. Here are the text messages I received afterward:
Her: "Holy crap, that is delicious! Write that recipe down! [He] even took a taste and said, 'Don't be surprised if that's gone tomorrow," meaning he's taking it to work."
Him: (in a separate text message 5 minutes later) "I do not want to impose but if you are offering [to share more], I'll take some of that, as well. That sh*t was f*****g DELICIOUS!
So here you are. My neighbor-approved farro recipe that works well as a vegetarian main course or a side dish to the meat lovers out there.
farro with roasted vegetables, lemon, and feta
prep time: 10 minutes | cook time: 30 minutes
experience level: easy peasy | specialty: vegetarian/vegan
- 1 cup dried farro, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt, optional
- 1 bunch broccoli, chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped
- 1/2 bunch kale, chopped finely
- 1 carton (8 ounces) mushrooms, de-stemed and thickly sliced
- 1/2 carton cherry tomatoes (keep whole)
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 large lemon, juiced (about 3 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp feta cheese, optional (leave out for vegan)
Rinse the farro in a fine mesh strainer. Add to a saucepan and cover with 3 cups of water, making sure the farro is covered with water. Season with salt, if you choose. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and fluff with a fork.
Pro Tip: I must warn you, though...my farro was super bubbly and made a right mess of my stove. I recommend sticking close by and stirring as needed when it gets too frothy.
Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit / 218° Celsius. Chop up all vegetables into bite-sized pieces. I chopped the kale more finely because (a) I already had it chopped like that for a different recipe (b) it crisps up nicely in the oven (c) it creates more "volume" to the dish. In a large bowl, stir all of the vegetables together. Toss with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Side Note: You can use whatever vegetables you want - I just used what I had on hand. Other options include Brussels sprouts, asparagus, onion, peppers, leeks, spinach, zucchini, and squash.
Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) and bake for 15 minutes. After the time is up, turn the oven up to high broil. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to char. Remove from the oven.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the cooked farro and the roasted vegetables together. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice. Stir to mix and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm, topped with a small sprinkling of the feta cheese.
Pro Tip: Try using infused olive oil for an additional boost of flavor - I added garlic-infused oil.
