This hearty farro bowl recipe is packed with Mediterranean flavors! Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, briny olives, and a creamy dressing make a satisfying grain bowl that’s the perfect meal for summer or any season.
It’s no secret that bowl meals are a super satisfying, fun way to eat all the veggies. Here’s Alex and my latest in a stream of easy dinner ideas: the hearty farro bowl! It’s my ideal Mediterranean diet dinner or lunch, pairing plump grains of farro with tangy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, salty olives, and seasoned chickpeas.
The icing on the cake (er, bowl) is my new innovation: hummus dressing! It’s so simple to make a sauce using hummus. It comes out creamy and bursting with flavor with only 3 ingredients—kind of a like a tahini sauce, but even easier. This one is on repeat in our kitchen: and I hope it will be in yours, too!
Ingredients in this farro bowl recipe
This farro bowl is a spin on a classic grain bowl: a meal built around a whole grain, veggies. a sauce, and protein. Over the years I have created recipes for rice bowls and lots quinoa bowl recipes, but this is the first farro grain bowl! Here are the essential ingredients for this farro bowl:
- Farro is a whole grain that can be used as an alternative to rice, barley or other grains. It’s actually an ancient grain that has been eaten since the Roman times! I love its chewy texture and nutty flavor.
- Fresh herbs, olive oil, and garlic: These essential ingredients are for flavoring both the farro and the chickpeas. We like to use parsley, dill or cilantro.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas are the plant-based protein here. You can also use other proteins like tofu, shrimp, or chicken.
- Cucumber, tomato, and Kalamata olives: These Mediterranean-style vegetables have big, bold flavor. Substitute other raw veggies if desired!
- Feta cheese: It adds a nice salty counterpoint to the flavors (omit for vegan).
- Greens (optional): I used a handful of baby arugula, but other greens like spinach, butter lettuce, or romaine work well.
- Hummus dressing: It’s creamy and irresistible, made with hummus, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Tips for the hummus dressing
If you’re making the hummus dressing, make sure to use a quality brand of hummus! We suggest steering clear of the popular Sabra brand: the flavor has a strong chemical aftertaste (possibly due to the citric acid used as a preservative, at least according to Reddit).
Whatever the case, use a hummus brand with a creamy, tangy and smooth flavor. Experiment to find a brand you love (one of my favorites is Esti hummus).
My favorite sauce and vegetable variations
This farro bowl is perfect as a healthy dinner idea or healthy lunch idea, and it’s easily customizable to your tastes and dietary needs! It’s kind of like making your own Sweet Green menu (one of my favorite restaurant concepts for bowl meals). Here are some ideas for varying the ingredients:
- Swap in other fresh veggies like bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, corn,
- Make roasted vegetables like these roasted vegetables or the ones in this Mediterranean bowl
- Use goat cheese crumbles or Parmesan instead of feta cheese
- Use other sauces like tahini sauce, cucumber sauce, lemon dill sauce, or vegan cilantro sauce.
Of course, you can also vary the whole grain, especially if you’re cooking for gluten-free eaters. For gluten-free, use quinoa or rice.
Add protein to make it a main dish
Another way to customize this farro bowl recipe is with adding different proteins! It currently uses chickpeas as a plant-based protein, but we’ve found this sometimes is not enough for hungry eaters (especially if you’re serving it for dinner). Here are a few protein adders we love:
- Chicken like grilled chicken, pan seared chicken breast, Parmesan crusted chicken, or chicken nuggets
- Shrimp like sauteed shrimp, grilled shrimp, or shrimp kabobs
- Salmon like baked salmon, pan seared salmon, or grilled salmon
- Tofu like baked tofu, crispy tofu, or breaded tofu
Storing leftovers and make ahead notes
This farro bowl recipe is simple to make ahead. You can make the farro up to 3 days in advance, the chickpeas up to 1 to 2 days in advance (open chickpeas are only good for up to 3 days), and the hummus dressing 1 week in advance.
Refrigerate all components separately. I suggested chopping the fresh vegetables directly before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Farro is an ancient grain with a chewy texture and nutty flavor. It’s packed with fiber and protein, making it a hearty and satisfying base for this bowl. It also holds up well when mixed with other ingredients, so your bowl won’t get soggy.
Absolutely! If you can’t find farro or want to try something different, you can substitute it with quinoa, brown rice, barley, or even couscous. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Yes, you can! The farro and chickpeas can be cooked in advance and stored separately in the refrigerator. The dressing can also be prepared ahead of time. Assemble the bowls just before serving to keep the vegetables fresh and crunchy.
Feel free to get creative! You can add other vegetables like roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, or chopped kale. You can also swap the feta for goat cheese or omit it for a vegan option. Experiment with different herbs and spices to change up the flavor profile.
Farro Bowl
This hearty farro bowl recipe is packed with Mediterranean flavors! Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, briny olives, and a creamy dressing make a satisfying grain bowl that’s the perfect meal for summer or any season.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the farro
- 1 cup uncooked farro, pearled or semi-pearled (not whole)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill or cilantro)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
For the bowl
- 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon each cumin and coriander
- ¼ teaspoon each smoked paprika and onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 English cucumber, chopped
- 1 handful olives, sliced in half
- 1 handful baby greens (like arugula)
- Feta cheese, to serve (optional)
Hummus Dressing
- ½ cup high quality hummus (avoid Sabra)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (more water if necessary)
Instructions
- Rinse the farro under cold water in a fine mesh strainer. In a large saucepan, place the farro, 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the grains are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes for pearled farro and 25 to 30 minutes for semi-pearled farro. Taste test a grain to see if it is tender (if the package is unmarked, just cook until tender). Drain any excess water. Add the additional ¼ teaspoon salt and olive oil or butter. Stir in the minced garlic and herbs. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mince the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, onion powder, and salt. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but before it browns. Add the chickpeas, spices, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook 2 minutes until warmed through.
- Make the hummus dressing by mixing together the ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and if desired, you can add a pinch or two of salt or sugar.
- Place the green in a shallow bowl (if using), then the farro, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, and olives. Top with feta cheese, if using, and drizzle with hummus dressing.
A few more farro recipes to try
There are so many fun ways to eat farro! This basic farro recipe is a great side dish, and you can also use it in farro with mushrooms, farro salad, or farro soup.
