Mushroom farro with tomatoes and kale in a skillet.

May 16, 2022

• Side Dishes

Mushroom Farro with Tomatoes

With just 10 ingredients, this mushroom farro with tomatoes is a simple mix of hearty grains and vegetables including chopped kale for greens.
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With just 10 ingredients, this mushroom farro with tomatoes is a simple mix of hearty grains and vegetables including chopped kale for greens.

Mushroom farro with tomatoes and kale in a skillet.

Never is my pantry without a selection of grains. Just like pasta, only they take a little longer to simmer on the stove, they can be the base for countless vegetarian and vegan recipes. I just change the feature ingredient(s) depending on the season. That could involve roasted veggies and canned tomatoes in the fall and winter and fresh fruits and vegetables in the summer.

This mushroom farro with tomatoes is a version of one of my go-to grain dishes that I like to make when spring really starts heating up. Then I make it all the way through June, July and August and even into early fall when there are still tomatoes in season. Toward the end of cooking, I add chopped kale to the farro because it’s such an easy way to fit in some greens.

Mushroom farro with tomatoes and kale on a plate.

What Is Farro?

With pretty much any grain, it’s all about the bite. Farro has a satisfying and chewy texture. Its flavor is kind of nutty. I would say it’s most similar to barley. Farro is an ancient grain that’s used in Italian cooking. Also, it is a good source of protein.

Rice dishes are the most obvious way to use farro, but you can also add it to salads as well as soups to make them filling and to turn them into main dishes if you want. Farro does contain wheat, so it’s not gluten-free.

Ingredients including mushrooms, tomatoes, farro, scallions, garlic and olive oil.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This is what you need

  • Farro as well as barley are great for this recipe. I usually cook farro with water, but you can use vegetable broth for liquid. You could also try brown rice or wild rice, but just remember that these types of rice will takes longer to cook. Avoid fine grains like quinoa or couscous because the mushrooms and tomatoes will overwhelm them.
  • Mushrooms:  I am a big fan of cremini mushrooms, which are sometimes called baby bella mushrooms. They are slightly more mature white mushrooms, so they have a nice earthy taste.
  • Tomatoes: Small varieties like grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are best because this recipe involves a quick sauté. And you want them to get juicy, but still hold their shape.
  • Kale: Either curly green kale or lacinato kale will work. Just make sure to tear the leaves from the ribs before you chop them.
  • Scallions give the farro light onion flavor. The white parts sauté with the garlic while the green parts are stirred into the grains at the end.
  • Garlic is fragrant in this recipe along with the scallions. I include 2 minced cloves.
  • Olive oil: For flavor, I like high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
  • Salt & pepper: I let the vegetables, garlic and scallions take the most attention and keep the seasonings to just kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Then saute the mushrooms.
Keep sauteing the mushrooms in the skillet. Then stir in the tomatoes and kale.
Stir the scallions and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet. Then stir in the farro.

How To Make Mushroom Tomato Farro

  1. Cook the farro.  Combine the farro and water in a saucepan on the stove over high heat. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and let the farro simmer for 10 minutes until the grains are tender. If there is any leftover water in the pot when the grains are ready, just drain it.
  2. Sauté the vegetables.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes until they start to turn brown. Then add the kale and tomatoes. Continue cooking until the tomatoes are juicy, the kale has wilted and the mushrooms have browned more.
  3. Add the aromatics. Stir in the white parts of the scallions, the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Give them a minute to turn fragrant.
  4. Stir in the farro and green scallions. Make sure that the grains and vegetables are evenly distributed throughout the skillet. Give it a few minutes, so that everything is warmed through.
Mushroom farro with tomatoes and kale in a bowl.

Serving & Leftovers

Take your pick. This farro can be spooned into a bowl as a side dish or a main dish. It really just depends on the quantity you serve and what you pair with it. If you want to treat it like a main, I would also make an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette.

As a side dish, you can serve it with pretty much any protein from chicken to shrimp. It’s very versatile.

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Rewarm them in a skillet on the stove with a little olive oil or in the microwave. If you want, you can eat them cold. I like to add greens and turn them into a grain salad with a little vinaigrette.

More Grain Recipes

Baked Tomato Farro Risotto
Lemon Herb Wild Rice Salad
Arugula Cannellini Bean Barley
Snap Pea Couscous
Herby Lemon Quinoa
Butternut Squash Black Bean Quinoa
Peach Corn Farro

Print
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Mushroom farro with tomatoes and kale on a plate.

Mushroom Tomato Farro

  • Author: Paige Adams
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Sauté
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

With just 10 ingredients, this mushroom farro with tomatoes is a simple mix of hearty grains and vegetables including chopped kale for greens.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup farro, rinsed
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped kale
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the farro and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer the farro for 10 minutes until the grains are tender. Let stand for 5 minutes. Drain any remaining water.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until they start to brown. Add the tomatoes and kale and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes turn a bit juicy and the kale has wilted slightly.  Add the garlic, salt and pepper, sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the farro and the green scallions.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Rewarm them in a skillet with olive oil on the stove or microwave them. You can also eat leftovers cold.

Keywords: mushroom farro

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Recipe and Photography by Paige Adams

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