How to Cook Farro on Stove Top

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!

Farro is a nutritional powerhouse and well worth adding to your diet, but a lot of people don't know much about it. Don't be intimidated; if you can cook pasta, you can cook farro. I've got an easy breakdown to explain what it is, why you should eat it, and how to cook farro! Whether you prefer the simplicity of stovetop cooking or the hands-off nature of the Instant Pot, you'll be able to cook it perfectly on your very first try. We love it in salads, soups, and lunch bowls of all kinds, and I'm willing to bet you will, too.

What Is Farro?

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.

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. 

Farro Recipe 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.

How to Cook Farro on Stove

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 Recipe Tips

• Do not skip the rinse. Starchy powder comes off of the farro and it can make your dish come out feeling gummy and dense instead of light and fluffy.
• If you want maximum flavor, use the best quality stock or broth you can find.
• Whenever possible, buy from the bulk store as it's usually cheaper and you can usually use refillable jars (better for storage than the plastic bags or cardboard boxes at the grocery store).
• Try it both hot and cold! It's great both ways, but I feel like I get slightly different flavors depending on the temperature.

Ways to Serve this Recipe for Farro

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.

Storing this Farro Recipe

• 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.

Farro Recipe FAQs