Mediterranean Farro Bowl (Printable version)

Hearty farro with Mediterranean vegetables, chickpeas, and creamy tahini dressing

# What You Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup farro, rinsed
02 - 2½ cups vegetable broth

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
07 - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 2 cups baby spinach

→ Protein

09 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas

→ Tahini Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons tahini
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
14 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
15 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

17 - ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Combine farro and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until farro is tender. Drain excess liquid if necessary and set aside to cool slightly.
02 - While farro cooks, prepare all vegetables by halving tomatoes, dicing cucumber and bell pepper, slicing olives and red onion, and measuring spinach. Have cooked chickpeas ready.
03 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth and well combined. Add additional water if dressing is too thick.
04 - Combine cooked farro, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, red onion, spinach, and chickpeas in a large bowl.
05 - Drizzle tahini dressing over bowl contents and gently toss to combine evenly. Divide among serving bowls and top with crumbled feta cheese and fresh parsley.
06 - Serve immediately or refrigerate covered for up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving if chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent the whole afternoon cooking.
  • Every bite feels different because you get grain, vegetables, creamy dressing, and salty olives all at once.
  • It's flexible enough to empty your vegetable drawer and still turn out delicious.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing step with farro—dust can hide in the grain and create a gritty, disappointing texture.
  • The tahini dressing thickens as it sits, so make it looser than you think it should be, and add extra water if you're serving later.
  • Taste the dressing before it touches the bowl—it should make you pause for a moment, that balance of lemon, tahini, and garlic hitting all at once.
03 -
  • Cook farro a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator—it'll firm up slightly and become easier to portion and toss evenly with the dressing.
  • Toast your tahini dressing's spices briefly before adding the wet ingredients if you want the cumin and garlic to sing even louder.
  • Double the dressing recipe and keep it in a jar—it becomes an instant dressing for salads, roasted vegetables, and even grilled fish later in the week.
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