Learning how to cook farro is quite straightforward. In this recipe, we show you how to cook farro and how to make it pop with garlic and herbs.

Looking for an easy and different side dish idea? Instead of chips or potato salad at a summer barbecue, try farro!  Farro is a whole grain that can be used as an alternative to rice or pasta. We love it for its chewy texture and nutty taste. As a side dish for our grilled portabello sandwich with tzatziki and feta a few weeks ago, Alex whipped up some farro and threw in some butter, minced garlic and some chopped fresh herbs. It was a delicious accompaniment to the meal!

At that time, we were still working our way through excess farro from our friend Katy’s stash. Unfortunately, we’ll now have to go back to buying our own! Farro is becoming more accessible—we’ve found it at many mainstream groceries, including packaged or in bulk bins.

How to cook farro

If this is your first time working with farro, don’t stress! This grain is incredibly easy to cook and doesn’t require much doctoring to make it taste amazing. Because it’s such a hearty grain, farro requires much more water than quinoa or rice. For every 1 cup of farro, you’ll need 3 cups of water or broth for it to fully cook through. Then add a healthy pinch of salt (we prefer kosher) and heat the farro until it’s boiling.

Farro only needs to cook for around 15 minutes until it’s tender. You’ll have some excess water in the pot, which you’ll need to drain before serving your garlic and herb farro. We love adding a pat of butter to our farro, but you can substitute olive oil instead if you can’t have dairy.

Now that you know how to cook farro, you can use it in any number of recipes! Farro is an especially great base for grain salads. Chop up some fresh or cooked vegetables to throw in with the farro, then add some olive oil and vinegar. Try it in something like this Farro with Roasted Vegetables or Farro Salad with Feta & Cherries.

Got an Instant Pot or pressure cooker? You also can cook farro in an Instant pot! Go to Instant Pot Farro.

Looking for more easy farro recipes?

• Farro with Mushrooms & Parmesan
• Cozy Farro and Brussels Sprouts Soup
• Farro Salad with Tart Cherries
• Roasted Acorn Squash with Fresh Greens, Farro, and Feta

This recipe is…

Vegetarian. To make vegan, use olive oil instead of butter.

How to Cook Farro

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(44 votes, average: 4.11 out of 5)

4.1 from 44 reviews

• Author: a Couple Cooks
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 6 1x

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Description

Learning how to cook farro is quite straightforward. In this recipe, we show you how to cook farro and how we like to flavor it with garlic and herbs.

Note: For how to cook farro in a pressure cooker, go to Instant Pot Farro.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked farro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (we used sage, thyme and oregano)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions

1. In a pot, place 2 cups farro with 6 cups of water. Season with a few pinches kosher salt and bring to a low boil. Cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes for pearled farro and about 30 minutes for semi-pearled, then drain excess water.
2. Meanwhile, mince 2 cloves garlic. Chop the fresh herbs.
3. When the farro is done, drain any excess water. Return to the stove; turn the heat to medium and stir in minced garlic, herbs, 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Heat, stirring, until the butter is melted, about 30 seconds.

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• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: how to cook farro, farro recipe

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