Last updated on April 8, 2022 by Liza Hawkins
This savory garlic farro recipe is a perfect alternative to rice or potatoes — simple to make, nutty and delicious!
Last Thursday was busy, maybe a little busier than normal even. One of those days where all of a sudden it’s after six o’clock and thoughts about dinner aren’t even a blip on the horizon.
My daughter, who spent all evening outside until the lights came on, stopped playing with her friends long enough to ask for chicken noodle soup for dinner.
Since my son was at my folks’ for the night, and my husband was busy coaching a lacrosse game (they won!), it was just us girls.
And you know what?
Chicken soup with buttered saltine crackers sounded perfect to me.
But a couple nights ago, when I had a little more foresight, we tried farro for the first time.
It’s nothing new and crazy.
In fact, farro has been around since ancient times, and it has always been very popular in Italy — specifially Tuscanny.
With a texture similar to a cross between Israeli couscous and brown rice, and with a delicate, nutty flavor, it’s also quite versatile!
Even prepared simply, we found it quite delicious.
Yum!
Savory Garlic Farro
This savory garlic farro recipe is a perfect alternative to rice or potatoes — simple to make, nutty and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro perlato
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil and garlic in a medium sauce pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the farro, and let it toast in the olive oil – stirring often – until it starts to look golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth all at once, increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Once it's reached a hard boil, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low (or whatever keeps it at a light boil). Let the farro simmer for 18 minutes, then remove it from heat and let the it sit for another 5 minutes before taking the lid off.
- Fluff the farro with a fork, remove the garlic, and serve it hot.
Notes
Take a minute to read through the comments for some extra tips, as well as the box instructions for your variety, as cooking needs can vary widely from type of farro you use to methodology (e.g., lid/no lid).
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Absolutely delicious. We had it with smoked pork chops and grilled veggies !
Yum! That sounds like a delicious pairing!
This was delicious! I just discovered farro recently and decided to give this recipe a try. I halved the recipe just for a trial run and it went great! All my liquid was absorbed. The flavor was amazing and for some reason reminded me of fried rice, which was nice because I was eating teriyaki chicken 🙂
Will definitely be making this a staple!
Oh, so glad to hear it! It’s wild how different the liquid thing is from person to person. Probably has something to do with stove style, as well as altitude (in my unprofessional opinion — ha!).
I tried this tonight. Made 1 1/3 cups farro and 4 cups broth (1 quart carton). After 25 minutes, liquid was not absorbed. Had to pour off excess. What did I do wrong?
Hi ML! I wouldn’t have used another full cup of broth for only adding 1/3 cup extra farro, personally. It’s not a big deal to have to drain it (some French recipes call for that with rice!), but next time maybe only use a little more broth if you’re only adding a little extra farro. Hope the flavor was good!
All I know is that it took a hell of lot longer for the broth to be absorbed. After 45 min it was all good. It was kinda of deceiving thinking it was only going to take 18 min with 5 min rest time,
Maybe you did something extra special. Once done it tasted great.
Hm – was the farro tender? You could just drain off excess liquid, if so. Glad it ended up working out for you!
This took significantly longer than the 18+5 min in the recipe for me too. Maybe our medium-lows are too low? Still ended up tasty—thanks Liza!
Hmmm … maybe so with the temps? Glad you liked it, despite the variance!
I’ve cooked farro many times and can tell you exactly where the problem is here. First, farro takes a good 30 minutes plus rest time to absorb all the liquid. The recipe uses the correct ratio for grain to liquid, but it’s important that you never cover the grain with the lid to allow for evaporation. If you don’t do this, you will end Up with wet farro that will be on the mushy side after draining excess liquid.
My first time eating farro and I liked it. While I ended up with extra liquid, I had no issue after draining it. Thanks for this simple, yet delicious recipe!
So glad you liked it!!
The recommended amount of broth was way too much. I also had to pour off at least 1 cup.
It’s so odd that this varies from person to person — you’re not the only one who’s had that happen. Next time I make it I’ll be sure to confirm the measurements I’m using with what’s in the recipe card. Thanks for stopping by, Mary!
Looking forward to trying this but I can see where the liquid issues are coming from. There are several different types of farro and when you read the back of your package you’ll know which one you have and how much longer you’ll need to cook it for the perfect texture!
Mine usually takes about 25 + min. I think the Bobs Red Mill brand is pearled farro.
Ah, makes sense! I should make a note like that in the recipe card. Thanks!
Delicious! I think 2 cups of broth, and leaving the lid off would help, since there was a LOT of liquid left over. It did take longer than the posted time. At the end, I added fresh parsley and lemon juice. Easy recipe and delicious. Thank you!
I have a new gas range and need to try making this again on it! Your feedback is great. Thanks!
Farro took a lot longer than the recipe called and still needed to be drained. Box called for a lot less water and a lot longer of a cook time. Do you drain your rice every time you make it?
Yeesh
Hi Josh! I don’t drain my rice when I make that. This post/recipe brought to light just how different farro can land for folks based on the type used, lid/no lid, cooking temp variances, etc. I meant to add notes to the recipe card to encourage readers to compare box notes with mine, in case the type of farro purchased requires a little different technique. If you try again, skim the comments — lots of good tips to help mitigate the extra liquid. Thanks for stopping by and taking the come to comment!
FYI There is a difference in cook time with Farro vs. Farror perlato. Farror takes a lot long but has more nutrients.
I really enjoyed the recipe. I did not place the lid on the pot and it cooked perfectly. The farro I used was pearled. Great flavor!
That’s great!
I’ve only used Farro in soups, so it’s very different cooking it on its own. I wish I had read the comments before hand!! I just printed up the recipe and didn’t look any further. It wasn’t ready at 18 minutes. There was at least 1.5 cups of broth still in the pot. I ended up taking the lid off and scooping the excess broth out. I cooked it another 20 minutes without the lid until it appeared done. It was delicious and will make again, but with some adjustments. I now realize my Farro wasn’t the same as in the recipe and does take longer to cook (Bob Red Mills).
I just tried the Savory Garlic Farro recipe, and it was incredible! The flavors melded together perfectly, and the garlic added such a delicious depth. It’s definitely going to be a new favorite in my meal rotation. Thank you for sharing this delightful dish!
Glad you enjoyed!