Instant Pot Farro With Peas

Farro, is an ancient strain of hard wheat.

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An Easy Side Dish
I was preparing an eggplant and tofu stir fry for friends and was just about to cook some rice to go with it when I decided to make something different. I looked in the pantry and found a nice bag of pearled Italian farro. Farro, also known as emmer wheat, is not gluten free, but it is high in fiber, a good source of protein, magnesium and B vitamins. It's similar to barley and has a nice bite and texture.

1/4 cup dry farro provides:
170 calories
1 g total fat - 0 saturated
3 g dietary fiber
32 g carbohydrates
7 g protein

Here's a simple farro recipe using your instant pot. Serve with a stir fry, ratatouille, steamed vegetables, or tomato sauce.


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Instant Pot Farro with Peas
Vegan, Dairy Free
[makes 8 servings]

Requirements
Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cups pearled farro
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed, room temperature
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Using the Sauté feature of the Instant Pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and celery and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

 Stir in the farro and then the broth, salt, and pepper.

Hit the Manual button and set for 7 minutes. When it is done, hit the Off button and let the pressure release naturally.

After the pressure comes down, carefully open the cover and stir in the room-temperature peas.

Close the cover and let sit for 5 minutes until the peas warm. If the mixture is still watery, just close the lid for a while longer until it absorbs.

Stir in the fresh parsley, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve immediately.

Nutrition
Per Serving (8): 177 calories, 3 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 448 mg sodium.

Warm Vegan Farro Salad With Roasted Crimini Mushrooms, Asparagus, Red Bell Peppers And Leeks

This warm Farro Salad is packed with veggies and is less than 200 calories per serving!

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Farro
Farro, or Triticum dicoccum (it's Latin name), is a whole grain in the wheat family. It is often mistaken for spelt but is actually more similar to barley with its wonderful, chewy texture. Unfortunately it is not gluten free but it is rich in protein and fiber and contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. 
If you have the time, soak farro overnight. It will shorten the cooking time and reduce phytic acid which can bind important minerals. But for culinary purposes, this isn't necessary so if you forget to soak it, just rinse well and cook it a bit longer. 
Here's a warm salad with mushrooms and lots of veggies. I cook them all in a single roasting pan so clean up is minimal. 

Farro is similar to barley with its chewy texture.

Roast mushrooms and veggies in a large shallow pan.

Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Vegan
[makes 6 servings]


For the farro
1 cup farro 
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt for water


For the roasted vegetables
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, 1/2" slices
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 pound crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 cup sliced leeks, bulb and lower leaf portion
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil


For the salad 
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


Rinse farro well and place in a saucepan with salted water. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer, cover and cook until it reaches the desired texture (30 to 45 minutes if unsoaked). 


Place asparagus, bell pepper, mushrooms, leeks, thyme, garlic, pepper and salt in a large, shallow roasting pan. Drizzle oil over the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Roast in oven for about 25 minutes stirring the mixture half way through. When done, remove from oven.


In a small cup, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil and salt. Set aside.


Place cooked farro, roasted vegetables, dressing and chopped parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Top with additional parsley or freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve warm.


Per serving. 198.4 calories, 5.3 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9.0 g protein, 31.5 g carbohydrates, 7.0 g dietary fiber and 301 mg sodium.