Brussels Sprout Farro
on Dec 13, 2024, Updated Feb 16, 2025
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This easy sautéed brussels sprout farro can be a vegetarian side dish or a main for a weeknight dinner or a holiday meal. I quickly shred the sprouts in a food processor and sauté them with garlic, shallots and lemon. Then I stir in the cooked grains along with parmesan, chopped almonds and fresh herbs.
For another tasty farro dish, try this roasted carrot and chickpea farro.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
A greens and grains recipe is always a winner. There’s no reason to pick one or the other when you can combine them to create something that is wholesome and hearty.
Fall to winter is prime roasting season, so it’s helpful to have stovetop recipes. Nothing is this more true than on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Having recipes that sauté and simmer on the stove and are quick and easy is important.
You can serve this recipe as a vegetarian side dish or a main dish. If you are looking for another way to do brussels sprouts, this farro is for you. Sautéing sprouts is a fast way to cook them, and the farro, shallots, parmesan and almonds give them something more.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Brussels sprouts: Look for sprouts with tightly packed leaves. You can rip off any wilted outer ones. It doesn’t matter if they are different sizes because you shred them the food processor or slice them with a mandolin, so they will cook in the same amount of time.
- Farro is an ancient grain often used Italian recipes. Barley is a good substitute. Both contain wheat, so if you want a grain that’s gluten free, I recommend brown rice or wild rice. Avoid fine grains like quinoa or couscous because they will get lost in the sautéed brussels sprouts.
- Shallots have mild onion and garlic flavor. I thinly slice them into rings, so they really mix into the shredded brussels sprouts.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for 2 minced garlic cloves.
- Parmesan or grated pecorino will work for this recipe. To keep it vegan, you can use a dairy-free, plant-based version or sprinkle the final plated dish with nutritional yeast.
- Lemon: You need both fresh lemon juice and zest.
- Almonds: Chopped almonds add nutty crunch. You can substitute with walnuts or pecans.
- Parsley: I finish the farro with chopped fresh herbs.
- Olive oil: Use high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Kosher salt & black pepper season the brussels sprouts and farro.
How To Make This Brussels Sprout Farro
1. Cook the farro on the stove. Combine the grains and water in a pot. Bring them to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer them uncovered. Assuming you are using pearled farro, it will cook in 12-15 minutes. You want the grains to keep their chewy consistency. Then drain the farro and remaining water in a fine mesh strainer.
2. Prep the brussels sprouts. Cut off the root end from each one and remove any wilted leaves. Using a food processor fitted with the slicing disc, shred the brussels sprouts. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a mandolin to slice them by hand. Remove any damaged leaves, but keep the root ends on so you have something to hold on to.)
3. Sauté the brussels sprouts. Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the sprouts until they start to soften and brown in spots, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice into the sprouts. Keep sautéing for 1-2 minutes until sprouts are tender and more browned and crisp on some of the leafy edges.
5. Fold the farro into the brussels sprouts. Remove the pan from the heat when you do this.
6. Stir in the lemon zest, parmesan cheese, chopped almonds and parsley.
Serving
As mentioned, you can serve this brussels sprout recipe as a vegetarian side dish or a main dish. I find that farro is a very filling grain, so it really comes down to preferences and portion sizes. For another take on sprouts for Christmas or Thanksgiving, this would be great with roasted turkey and the rest of the sides.
Leftovers & Storage
If you have leftovers, let them cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container. You can save them in the fridge up to 3 days. They will soften the longer you keep them. You can reheat them in the microwave or eat them cold.
More Brussels Sprout Recipes
Roasted Brussels Sprout Orecchiette
Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad
Honey Balsamic Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
Sriracha Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
Kale Brussels Sprout Pear Salad
Apple Brussels Sprout Salad
Brussels Sprout Farro
Ingredients
For farro
- 1 cup pearled farro, rinsed
- 3 cups water
For brussels sprouts
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Combine the farro and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the farro for about 12 minutes until it is cooked through but still has a chewy bite. Drain the farro and remaining water from the saucepan into a fine mesh strainer.
- Cut the root end off the brussels sprouts and remove any damaged leaves. Use a food processor fitted with the slicing disc attachment and shred the brussels sprouts. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a mandolin to do this. Do not cut off the root end, so you have something to hold on to.)
- In a large skillet or sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the brussels sprouts and shallots. Sauté them for 4-5 minutes until the sprouts start to become tender and brown in spots.
- Then stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and continue sautéing for 1-2 minutes until more of the sprouts are tender and some are lightly browned and crisp at the leafy edges.
- Remove the brussels sprouts from the heat and fold in the farro.
- Stir in the lemon zest, parmesan, almonds and parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks wonderful! Thank you for posting it.