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Home Meal Type Sides
5
/5
30 minutes minutes

How to Cook Farro

Nut Free Nut Free Vegetarian Vegetarian
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard1 Comment
Posted: 12/17/21 Updated: 10/2/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

A complete guide showing you how to cook farro and how to serve it! We’re sharing two easy options to cook your farro: on the stovetop and in the Instant Pot. These methods yield perfectly cooked, chewy yet tender farro.

Whole grains such as farro are a great addition to salads, soups, or any meal prep bowl that requires a grain. Similar to quinoa or brown rice - farro is going to be your new favorite grain!

how to cook farro hero shot of farro in a bowl
Jump to... show
1 What Is Farro?
2 Nutritional Information
3 Types of Farro
4 Ingredient Notes
5 Step By Directions
6 FAQ
7 Ways to Serve It
8 Storage
9 More How-To Basics
10 How to Cook Farro

Farro is a nutritional powerhouse and well worth adding to your diet. If you’ve never heard of farro before, this post will serve as an in-depth guide on what it is, why you should eat it, and how to cook farro!

Farro is an ancient whole grain that is packed with nutrients, fiber, and protein. It has a chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor that makes it so delicious in soups and salads, or even as a stand-alone dish. Think of farro as a more nutritional alternative to rice or other refined grains.

What Is Farro?

what is farro- showing uncooked farro in a jar

Farro is a whole wheat grain that originated in Mesopotamia. Farro is gaining popularity because it's so healthy for you and a great alternative to processed grains.

We love keeping farro stocked in the pantry because it's extremely shelf-stable, and a great option to reach for when we want to mix things up for a side dish or include it in our weekly meal prep.

Nutritional Information

  • farro is rich in fiber, protein (6 g in ¼ cup!), and iron
  • it contains many antioxidants (aka: the key to the fountain of youth, not to mention many anti-cancer properties 😉 )
  • it has a low glycemic index (meaning that it is less likely to spike your blood sugars and more likely to keep you feeling full for longer)

Types of Farro

There are a few varieties of farro available. For this recipe, we’ve used pearled farro, as it is the most widely available at grocery stores. 

  1. Whole farro - contains the husk and bran, therefore takes longer to cook. Whole farro will have a stronger flavor.
  2. Semi-pearled farro - has no husk and portions of the bran is removed. 
  3. Pearled farro - most commonly available, pearled farro takes less time to cook as the husk and bran are removed. It has a more subtle nutty flavor. 

Ingredient Notes

  • Farro - we used pearled farro (Bob's Red Mill brand), found in the natural foods section of the grocery store. 
  • Cooking liquid - you can use water, bone broth, vegetable stock, or chicken stock to add extra flavor to the farro. 
  • Salt - helps to season each grain as it cooks.
three image collage showing rinsing, boiling, and draining farro

Step By Directions

Farro looks similar to rice, however, it is cooked in a similar 'boil and drain' method as pasta.

Stovetop

  1. Rine - Rinse farro by covering with 2 inches of water in a pot. Swirl and carefully discard the water (use a colander to catch the farro). Repeat until water is clear.
  2. Combine - Cover rinsed farro with 4 cups of cooking liquid (water, vegetable stock, chicken stock, or bone broth). Add ½ teaspoon salt.
  3. Simmer - Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Taste the farro and determine if you want to cook it longer. It should be soft but chewy.
  4. Drain - Drain off extra liquid using a colander, and enjoy!

Instant Pot:

  1. Rinse - Rinse farro by covering with 2 inches of water in the Instant Pot insert. Swirl and carefully discard the water (use a colander to catch the farro). Repeat until water is clear.
  2. Combine - Cover rinsed farro with 4 cups of cooking liquid (water, bone broth, vegetable stock, or chicken stock). Add ½ teaspoon salt.
  3. Pressure cook - Put the Instant Pot lid on and set the valve to 'sealing'. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure.
  4. Drain -Carefully drain off the cooking liquid using a colander, and enjoy!
farro in bowl after cooking farro instant pot

FAQ

Is farro gluten-free? 

No. Like barley and other wheat grains, farro does contain gluten.

Can I cook farro in the rice cooker? 

Yes, but I much prefer the Instant Pot or stove top. My rice cooker took nearly an hour to cook the farro and it gummed up the vent with a starchy mess during the cooking process.

How do I choose farro?

We buy (no brand) farro at the bulk foods store. I've also used Bob's Red Mill Farro and Co-op Gold PURE farro. There are lots of other options on Amazon as well!

Why do I have to rinse the farro? 

This grain has a powdery, dry residue that needs to be rinsed off before cooking. Rinsing grains ensures any excess starch is removed, resulting in a more tender and fluffy finished product!

Ways to Serve It

farro in apple farro salad with spinach and dried cranberries

From delicious side dishes to salads, soups, and stews - there are so many uses for farro!

  1. side dish - stir in some butter, fresh herbs, and pine nuts to serve as a standalone side dish.
  2. salad- farro goes with so many different flavors! Here is our delicious autumn apple farro salad.
  3. Soup - try our Italian sausage soup with farro - it’s so hearty and nourishing!
  4. meal prep - farro holds up really well for meal prep! Try our Mediterranean farro chicken meal prep recipe or this farro arugula salad meal prep

Storage

  • Fridge - Allow the farro to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Serve - Serve cold, or reheat in the microwave until steaming hot!

Pantry Tip - we store our farro in 1 quart jars and bring to the bulk store as needed to refill! See our post on pantry organization ideas for more tips and ideas.

spoon scooping up quinoa over a large pot

More How-To Basics

  • How to cook quinoa 
  • How to cook perfect fluffy rice
  • How to cook perfect fluffy black beans
  • How to cook spaghetti squash
  • How to cook pork tenderloin

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

a large black bowl of cooked farro

How to Cook Farro

5 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Print Rate
A complete guide showing you how to cook farro and how to serve it! We’re sharing two easy options to cook your farro: on the stovetop and in the Instant Pot. These methods yield perfectly cooked, chewy yet tender farro.
4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup farro
  • 4 cups cooking liquid water or stock/broth for more flavor
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions 

Stove Top Farro

  • Rinse - Rinse farro by covering with 2 inches of water in a pot. Swirl and carefully discard the water (use a colander to catch the farro). Repeat until water is clear.
  • Combine - Cover rinsed farro with 4 cups of cooking liquid (*see note 1). Add ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Simmer - Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Taste the farro and determine if you want to cook it longer. It should be soft but chewy.
  • Drain - Drain off extra liquid and enjoy!

Instant Pot Farro

  • Rinse - Rinse farro by covering with 2 inches of water in the Instant Pot insert. Swirl and carefully discard the water (use a colander to catch the farro). Repeat until water is clear.
  • Combine - Cover rinsed farro with 4 cups of cooking liquid (see *). Add ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Pressure cook - Put the Instant Pot lid on and set the valve to 'sealing'. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
    Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure.
  • Drain - Carefully drain off the cooking liquid.

Tips:

  1. water works great but for extra flavor, I like to cook my farro in stock or broth
Storage
  • Fridge - Allow the farro to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Serve - Serve cold, or reheat in the microwave until steaming hot!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 of the batch, Calories: 176kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 295mg, Potassium: 140mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1.2mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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  1. Marlyse says

    Posted on 3/25/24 at Posted on 3/25/24

    5 stars
    Will try UR recipe.....great alternative!
    Will have to find it first i.e purchase it, perhaps at a local health food store

    Reply

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