17 Hearty Farro Dishes to Try

Farro with Vinegar-Glazed Sweet Potato and Apples
Photo: © Con Poulos

Farro is a nutty, chewy whole-grain wheat that can be used in everything from burgers to stews, showing off its versatility and ability to work as either a delicious main dish or a perfectly complementary side. Start your day with a farro breakfast porridge, make it into a creamy risotto, or fry it up for a crunchy salad topper. Here are 17 of our best farro recipes to make throughout the year.

01 of 17

Farro Breakfast Porridge with Raspberries

Farro Breakfast Porridge with Raspberries
© Constantine Poulos

Missy Robbins, chef-owner of Lilia and Misi in Brooklyn, mixes up her morning breakfast routine with farro porridge, which she tops with a super-speedy and delicious sauce made from frozen raspberries and honey.

02 of 17

Farro and Sausage Parmigiano

Farro-and-Sausage Parmigiano
© John Kernick

In this clever slow-cooker dish, farro gets simmered with tomatoes and sausage until thick and hearty, then broiled with fresh mozzarella and Parmesan. A quick and simple topping of lemon and herbed panko gives it the perfect crunchy finish.

03 of 17

Farro with Vinegar-Glazed Sweet Potato and Apples

Farro with Vinegar-Glazed Sweet Potato and Apples
© Con Poulos

Roasting sweet potato and apples with a little sherry vinegar and tossing them with farro, dried cherries, and roasted cashews makes for a hearty cold-weather dish.

04 of 17

Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro

Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro
© CON POULOS

This soul-satisfying winter hash is vegetable-laden comfort food. The recipe from 2009 F&W Best New Chefs 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.

05 of 17

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers
© Cedric Angeles

If you suspect that veggie burgers are a pale imitation of the all-beef original, try these robust DIY patties. Made with black beans and farro and topped with roasted red pepper spread, they're moist and delicious.

06 of 17

Soft-Shell Crabs with Farro Salad

Soft-Shell Crabs with Farro Salad
© RICHARD GERHARD JUNG

For this ultra-flavorful dish, jumbo soft-shell crabs are marinated in concentrated pineapple juice, chiles, fresh ginger, cilantro, and coconut cream. They're served atop a fresh farro salad with smoked bacon and avocado, then garnished with caramelized watermelon.

07 of 17

Cracked Emmer and Carrot Porridge

Cracked Emmer and Carrot Porridge
© CON POULOS

Chef Dan Barber is a big proponent of using whole grains, which are far more delicious than the processed kinds. One of the grains he's most keen on is emmer wheat ⁠— also known as farro ⁠— which he uses in this savory, carrot-rich dish.

08 of 17

Cabbage and Kale Soup with Farro

Cabbage-and-Kale Soup with Farro
© Lucy Schaeffer

"I love a really flavorful pot of greens," says 2004 F&W Best New Chef Melissa Perello. For this kale and cabbage soup, she uses just a little bit of pancetta and Parmesan rind to give the broth a rich flavor. "It's definitely the kind of dish that tastes even better the next day," she says.

09 of 17

Roast Squab Breast with Two-Grain Porridge

Roast Squab Breast with Two-Grain Porridge
© MARCUS NILSSON

This elegant, wintry dish features roasted squab breast served on a bed of luxuriously creamy bulgur-farro porridge.

10 of 17

Toasted Farro with Greens and Tahini

Toasted Farro with Greens and Tahini
© LUCY SCHAEFFER

Top Chef alum Kevin Gillespie roasts cooked farro in a skillet to give the grain a sweet, toasty flavor and a pleasant chewiness. He then adds greens and tosses it with parsley, tahini, and lemon juice.

11 of 17

Farro Salad with Fennel and Arugula

Farro Salad with Fennel and Arugula
© JOHN KERNICK

Chef Art Smith loves to toss whole grains like farro into his green salads to make them more substantial. You can also try this salad with wheat berries, spelt, or barley.

12 of 17

Cheesy Farro and Tomato Risotto

Cheesy Farro-and-Tomato Risotto
© Lucy Schaeffer

Sommelier and winemaker Rajat Parr came up with this vibrant risotto when trying to feed a bunch of hungry friends in his San Francisco apartment from a pantry that happened to contain tomatoes and farro.

13 of 17

Sausage Fried Farro with Shitake, Radishes, and Scallions

Sausage Fried Farro with Shitake, Radishes and Scallions
© Chris Court

This meal-in-one recipe is a wholesome take on pork fried rice, incorporating hearty farro with spicy Italian sausage and veggies. Instead of stirring in the usual scrambled egg, 2003 F&W Best New Chef Stuart Brioza tops the dish with an oozy poached egg.

14 of 17

Short Rib Farrotto with Carrots and Parsnips

Short Rib Farrotto with Carrots and Parsnips
© CON POULOS

Chewy, earthy farro is grown in Tuscany, where chef Marco Canora's mother is from. When cooked risotto-style, as it is here, the grain releases its starch into the broth, making it creamy. Pair peppery, herbal Tuscan Chianti Classico with this short-rib dish.

15 of 17

Peach, Tomato, and Fried Farro Salad with Burrata

Peach, Tomato, and Fried Farro Salad with Burrata
© Jen Causey

This elegant summer salad features the season's juiciest peaches and tomatoes, luxuriously creamy burrata, and a sprinkle of fantastically crunchy fried farro. Be sure to make extra farro to use on top of creamy soups, casseroles, pasta tosses, scrambled eggs, and even an ice cream sundae — basically wherever you crave a little crunch.

16 of 17

Vegetable Farro Stew with Figs and Pine Nuts

Vegetable Farro Stew with Figs and Pine Nuts
© CHRISTINA HOLMES

"I'm not a vegetarian," says chef Grant Achatz. "But at home I mainly eat grains and vegetables." His minimalist slow-cooker stew features farro, eggplant, artichokes, and three kinds of pepper. Then it's sweetened with dried figs and raisins.

17 of 17

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Warm Farro Salad

Pan Roasted Chicken with Warm Farro Salad
© David Malosh

This simple chicken is seasoned with sage and accompanied by a full-flavored autumn farro salad. For the salad, cooked farro is mixed with roasted carrots and mushrooms, then tossed with the chicken's pan juice, lemon juice, and crunchy toasted hazelnuts.

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