An easy step-by-step tutorial on How To Cook Farro three different ways! A chewy texture that gives a slightly nutty flavor to all of your favorite farro recipes, like a farro salad, bowls, stuffed peppers, & soups.
The Best & Easiest Methods For Cooking Farro
We have recently discovered all the best ways to easily make farro on the stovetop, in the crockpot and in the Instant Pot. No matter how you cook this healthy whole grain, it is going to become your new favorite ingredient to add to a variety of different recipes! You can keep it simple and serve it as a side dish with a little seasoning or you can add it to almost any of your favorite soups, grain bowls, stuffed peppers, or farro salad recipes. Follow along as we show you just how easy it is!
Looking for Another Fun Grain Option?
You could try learning how to cook orzo and use it to make our Greek Orzo Salad!
What You Will Need
- farro – a simple whole grain that has a slightly toasty and nutty flavor.
- water or broth – we used water in this tutorial but you could also use chicken broth to give it even more flavor!
- kosher salt – just a little for some added seasoning!
How To Cook Farro (Stovetop Version)
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to gather all of the basic ingredients.
Now, place the dry farro in a mesh food strainer and rinse it under cold water in your kitchen sink.
Then place the water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it begins to boil, add the farro and return it to a boil.
After it returns to a boil, you can reduce the stove burner to a low heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Pro Tip
Option to soak the farro in a bowl of water in the refrigerator the night before cooking to reduce the simmer time to only 10 minutes!
Drain the fully cooked farro in a colander in the sink and use it in your favorite recipe!
How To Cook Farro In A Slow Cooker
We always love a set-it-and-forget-it option! This is so simple and perfect for making this delicious grain on a weekend afternoon or to make your dinner prep even faster. Just add 1 cup rinsed farro, 4 cups water or both and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to your favorite slow cooker or crock pot. Place the cover on top and cook on LOW for 2-2 1/2 hours or on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours. Now drain the excess water and use in any of your favorite farro recipes.
How To Cook Farro In An Instant Pot (or Pressure Cooker)
This is another great way to cook dry farro in a matter of minutes. Just remember that it does take time for the Instant Pot to get up to pressure. Simply add 1 cup rinsed farro, 3 cups water or broth and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a pressure cooker. Secure the lid on top, select the HIGH pressure setting, and let it cook for 12 minutes. When the time is up, you can quick release the pressure, drain the excess water and serve as desired.
Best Ways To Serve Farro
There are so many different ways that you can enjoy this nutty-flavored grain! We love adding it to a salad, like our favorite Fall Farro Salad. Or it can be substituted for rice in any of your favorite grain bowl recipes or stuffed peppers, like these Ultimate Mexican Stuffed Peppers! Get creative and share with us your favorite way to enjoy farro.
Storage & Freezer
Whether cooking farro ahead of time to make meal prep even easier, or you have some leftover, you can easily store the cooked farro in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it, if you want! Simply spread the cooked farro out on a baking sheet, place it in the freezer for about 2 hours, and then pour it into a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- What is farro? A whole grain that is made up of three different species of hulled wheat: spelt, emmer, and einkorn. It is sold as a dry grain at your local grocery store. After you purchase it, you can bring it home and cook as much as you need to a fluffy texture.
- How long does it take farro to cook? This really depends on how you want to it. If you want a shorter cook time, then we suggest letting the farro soak in water overnight. Then the next day you can cook it on the stovetop for only about 10 minutes. If you do not soak it overnight, it will take closer to 25-30 minutes to cook.
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How to Cook Farro
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 cups 1x
- Category: How-To
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
An easy tutorial for How to Cook Farro on the stove top, in a slow cooker, or Instant Pot! Perfect for meal prep!
Ingredients
- 8 cups water or broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup farro
Instructions
- Boil Water: Add water and salt to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.
- Rinse: Meanwhile, rinse farro under cold water.
- Cook Farro: Add farro to boiling water. Return to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Serve: Drain off excess water and use in your favorite recipe (we love a Farro Salad!).
Notes
- Pre-Soak Method: option to soak farro in water overnight in the refrigerator prior to cooking the next day. Drain excess water. Bring 3-4 cups water or broth to boil. Add farro and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and use as desired.
- Slow Cooker Method: Add 1 cup rinsed farro, 4 cups water or both and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2-2 1/2 hours or on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours. Drain excess water and use as desired.
- Pressure Cooker: Add 1 cup rinsed farro, 3 cups water or broth and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to pressure cooker. Seal and set to HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. Quick release pressure, drain excess water and serve as desired.
- Storage: store farro in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 177.1 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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