If you’ve never tried farro you’re in for a treat. This amazing one bowl meal is great for lunch, dinner, and is a perfect way to start the day if you do choose to practice time-based eating as I talk about in today’s latest podcast (see above). This ancient grain is chewy and nutty, and it plus the veggies and legumes provide the perfect complement of nutrients for blood sugar health and also nourishing a healthy microbiome. Don’t eat wheat? No worries – simply swap in cooked quinoa for an equally delish and healthy meal!
Grab the recipe below and enjoy!
Hint: Double it for the best leftovers for a couple of days of lunches so you don’t have to ask yourself, “What should I eat today?” You'll never wonder again once you bring this meal into your rotation. And the varieties of roasted root veggies, legumes, and seasonings are endless to play with!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dry farro
- 1 large or two medium sweet potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 small cauliflower, cut into small bite sized florets
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped curly parsley
- Zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons juice
- Sea salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
To prepare
For the Roasted Root Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Line two medium baking sheets with parchment paper
- On a bowl, toss the diced onion and cauliflower florets with 1 TBS of the olive oil, and a few dashes of salt and pepper. Spread the veggies onto one of the lined baking traces and put into the oven, on a rack in the top third of your oven.
- Now toss the diced sweet potato in 1 TBS of olive oil, also with a dash of salt and pepper, and place. Spread onto the other lined baking traces and put into the oven, on a middle rack.
- Bake for 25- 35 minutes, or until soft and the cauliflower and sweet potatoes are golden brown, turning a few times to cook evenly,
For the Farro
- Once the veggies are in the oven, put a large pot of lightly salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.
- In a large stainless steel or cast iron large skillet, dry roast the farro over high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the farro is slightly browned and releases a nutty, toasted fragrance.
- Add farro to the salted water and simmer for 20-25 minutes so that the farro is cooked but still a little chewy – the desired texture.
- Drain in a fine mesh strainer and put into a bowl.
- When the veggies are done, toss them into the farro with the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil, 2 TBS fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, the chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste,
- Toss in the feta cheese.
- Serve as a one bowl meal alone, over arugula, or with a side of your favorite protein.
Farro and Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dry farro
- 1 large or two medium sweet potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 small cauliflower, cut into small bite sized florets
- 1 large 1 red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped curly parsley
- 1 zested lemon plus 2 tablespoons juice
- sea salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Roasted Root Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400° F
- On a bowl, toss the diced onion and cauliflower florets with 1 TBS of the olive oil, and a few dashes of salt and pepper. Spread the veggies onto one of the lined baking traces and put into the oven, on a rack in the top third of your oven.
- Now toss the diced sweet potato in 1 TBS of olive oil, also with a dash of salt and pepper, and place. Spread onto the other lined baking traces and put into the oven, on a middle rack.
- Bake for 25- 35 minutes, or until soft and the cauliflower and sweet potatoes are golden brown, turning a few times to cook evenly.
For the Farro
- Once the veggies are in the oven, put a large pot of lightly salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.
- In a large stainless steel or cast iron large skillet, dry roast the farro over high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the farro is slightly browned and releases a nutty, toasted fragrance.
- Add farro to the salted water and simmer for 20-25 minutes so that the farro is cooked but still a little chewy – the desired texture.
- Drain in a fine mesh strainer and put into a bowl.
- When the veggies are done, toss them into the farro with the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil, 2 TBS fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, the chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss in the feta cheese.
- Serve as a one bowl meal alone, over arugula, or with a side of your favorite protein.
