Mediterranean Farro Bowl (Printable)

Hearty farro with Mediterranean vegetables and creamy tahini dressing

# What You’ll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup farro, rinsed
02 - 2.5 cups vegetable broth

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
07 - 0.5 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 2 cups baby spinach

→ Protein

09 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas or grilled chicken or tofu

→ Tahini Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons tahini
11 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
14 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
15 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

17 - 0.25 cup crumbled feta cheese, omit for vegan option
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine farro and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until farro is tender. Drain any excess liquid and set aside to cool slightly.
02 - While farro cooks, prepare all vegetables and protein components as listed in the ingredients.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add additional water if dressing is too thick.
04 - In a large bowl, combine cooked farro, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, red onion, spinach, and chickpeas or protein of choice.
05 - Drizzle tahini dressing over the bowl and toss gently to combine all components evenly.
06 - Divide among serving bowls. Top each bowl with crumbled feta and chopped parsley.
07 - Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with warm pita bread for a heartier meal.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen.
  • The tahini dressing is so creamy and garlicky that even skeptics of health bowls become believers.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors deepen and marry together.
  • You can swap proteins and vegetables based on what's in your fridge without losing the soul of the dish.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the farro; it removes starch that makes the grains gummy and prevents that light, separate texture you're after.
  • The dressing thickens as tahini sits with lemon juice, so make it just before serving and keep extra water nearby to loosen it if needed.
03 -
  • If your tahini tastes bitter or separated, you've got old tahini; buy fresh and your dressing will taste brighter and more alive.
  • Warm farro absorbs dressing better than cold farro, so don't let it cool completely before dressing it if you want maximum flavor throughout.
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