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Learn how to cook farro easily on the stovetop to add to your favorite recipes. Farro is a delicious and hearty grain that’s simple to cook once you know a few key tips!
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If you’ve never cooked farro before, let me take you through the process step by step. Spoiler; it’s as easy as cooking rice!
This delicious grain is similar to barley but denser and a little chewier. It’s a great addition to salads soups and stews. or serve it up as a side dish as part of a weeknight meal.
Learn how to cook farro perfectly every time for one tasty bite that’s perfect for meal prep.
Be sure to check out my posts on How To Cook Quinoa and How To Cook Lentils.
Why you will love this recipe!
- Versatile: Farro has a wonderful chewy texture and nutty flavor, making it a great addition to soups, salads, and grain bowls.
- Simple and easy: You just need farro, some water and you are ready to go! There’s nothing complicated about cooking it.
- Make ahead: Cooked farro is great for weekly meal prep and is freezer friendly too.
Ingredients For Cooking Farro
- Water: Normal tap water is just fine for this recipe. Sometimes, I like to use vegetable or chicken broth/stock instead to add more flavor.
- Farro: You can use pearled farro, semi-pearled farro or whole farro. Cooking times will vary depending on what type of farro you are using. There’s farro piccolo (einkorn), farro medio (emmer), and farro grande (spelt). Emmer is what you’ll find sold most often in the U.S. It’s a harder grain than einkorn and is often confused with spelt.
- Fresh herbs or seasonings: When I want to make it more savory and flavorful, I like to add fresh chopped parsley for garnish, or other dry seasonings.
How To Cook Farro
- Rinse farro under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer before cooking it.
- Fill a medium pot half full of water and bring to a boil. Add the farro, reduce to medium heat and simmer until the farro is tender, chewy, but still has an al dente bite – 15 to 20 minutes for pearled farro; 20 to 30 minutes for semi-pearled farro; up to 40 minutes for whole farro.
- Drain, fluff with a fork, and then spread onto a large plate or sheet pan to cool and dry for 20 minutes. This keeps it from continuing to steam which makes it mushy.
- Season it with salt & black pepper, or use it in your recipe of choice.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Rinse the farro well before cooking under cold running water.
- There is no need to soak the farro before cooking it.
- Add the farro to boiling water, not cold water, so that it cooks through evenly and doesn’t end up being too gummy and mushy. This is called the pasta method or the rice method.
- Taste the farro before draining. It should be tender and chewy but still have a little bite to it.
The Best Way to Store Cooked Farro
I love making a big batch of farro at the start of the week because it’s so easy to toss into different meals and it saves me so much time. I like to add it to salads, soups, or grain bowls. Here’s how I store it to keep it fresh:
- Refrigerator: Once you have cooked your farro and let it cool, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 5 days and can be used straight from the fridge. It’s great to use this way to add to salads.
- Freezer: You can also freeze the grains. Freeze them solid on a baking sheet and then transfer them to a container. They will keep well for up to 2 months and can be thawed at room temperature or added frozen into soups and stews.
How to Add Farro to Your Meals
It is a great alternative to other popular grains, such as rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and barley, among others. You can add farro to grain bowls, use it in soups or stews, serve it with stir-frys, make hearty salads with it instead of rice or quinoa, or use it as a side instead of rice. Make sure you try my Watermelon Feta Salad with Farro.
Commonly Asked Questions
Farro is a form of wheat so it is not gluten-free. It is very low in gluten though, so people with mild intolerances are able to tolerate it.
You can easily double the recipe if you want to enjoy farro a few times throughout the week. The ratio of water to dry farro is 1:2, so for 2 cups of dry farro, use 4 cups water. 1 cup farro will make 2 1/2 cups of cooked and will serve 4.
More Kitchen Tips
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How To Cook Farro
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Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Fill a medium pot half full of water and bring to a boil. Add the farro, reduce the heat and simmer until the farro is tender, chewy, but still has an al dente bite – 15 to 20 minutes for pearled farro; 20 to 30 minutes for semi-pearled farro; up to 40 minutes for whole farro.
- Drain, fluff with a fork, and then spread onto a large plate or sheet pan to cool and dry for 20 minutes. This keeps it from continuing to steam which makes it mushy.
Notes
- Rinse the farro well before cooking under cold running water.
- Add the farro to boiling water, not cold water, so that it cooks through evenly.
- Taste the farro before draining. It should be tender and chewy but still have a little bite to it.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this recipe is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your diet or health. For more details, please read my full disclosure page.
