
The other day, in an effort to satisfy my body’s cravings for a leaner type of meal, I made this tasty warm farro bowl, grilling some of the vegetables I had at home: carrots, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli, onion, and some pretty long, thin and purple eggplants (similar to Chinese eggplants). Farro is a type of grain whose nutty and hearty flavor make it an ideal base for seasonal fall salads. I love its satisfying texture — I’ll trade any quinoa salad for a farro one any day of the week!
You can easily substitute any of the veggies I used with other seasonal ones: kabocha or butternut squash would add a bit of sweetness to the dish; grilled kale, radicchio or swiss chard would provide even more textural variety. The key to this farro bowl is keeping the vegetables “al dente“…so don’t leave the grilling pan alone. (:
Only after the first bite, I realized I had put together a pretty tasty and (unintentionally) vegan dish!
Buonissimo.
- 8.8 (250 g) quick-cook farro
- 2 carrots
- 1 small purple onion
- 10 brussel sprouts
- 6-7 white mushrooms
- a handful of broccoli florets
- 4-5 asian eggplant (can sub with ½ regular eggplant)
- a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra-virgin olive oil
- Peel carrots and cut them in half lengthwise. Then cut each piece in ¼-inch thick half rounds.
- Peel onion and cut it in half, lengthwise; cut onion in ¼ inch-thick slices.
- Rinse brussel sprouts, cut their stems, remove outer and blemished leaves, and cut it in quarters.
- Clean mushrooms from dirt and remove the tip of the stem. Cut each mushroom in ⅛-inch thick slices.
- Cut broccoli florets lengthwise in smaller and even pieces.
- If you're using an asian eggplant (it's long, thin and bright purple), cut it in ¼-inch thick slices. If you're using a regular eggplant, cut it in small and even cubes.
- Now that all vegetables are clean and cut, grill them separately on a grill pan, lightly brushed with extra-virgin olive oil. Cooking time varies according to the type of vegetable...Make sure they're cooked but not mushy. Sprinkle them with a bit of salt and pepper. As you cook one veggie at a time, transfer them onto a large plate.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook farro according to package instructions (mine took 10 minutes). Once it's cooked, drain and pour into a large pan, over medium heat. Add vegetables, lemon juice, chopped parsley and, if needed, salt and pepper. Cook farro with the vegetables for 2-3 minutes, until all flavors come together and vegetables are warm again. Serve immediately.
- In case you're wondering where you can find it, Trader Joe's sells 10 minute farro.
-While this recipe makes enough to serve five or six as a side, it will serve 3 or 4 as a main lunch salad.
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