Mushroom Farro with Tomatoes and Kale
on May 16, 2022, Updated Sep 11, 2024
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This 10-ingredient mushroom farro with tomatoes and kale is a version of one of my go-to grain dishes that changes depending what vegetables are in season. After I simmer the farro, I sauté sliced mushrooms, adding in halved cherry tomatoes and chopped kale. Then I stir in sliced scallions and minced garlic along with seasonings before folding in the chewy cooked farro grains. It is an easy vegan side or main dish.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Served as a vegan main or a side dish, this farro recipe is easy to make and you only need 10 ingredients. I am a big fan of the simplicity of this combination of mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, kale and grains.
Farro is a wholesome and nutritious grain that has so much good texture and bite. Used in soups and salads and side dishes, farro, just like barley, is an all-purpose pantry ingredient.
This is a recipe that you can make during shoulder season in addition to peak tomato season. Try it when good tomatoes are just starting to appear at the market. Then take it through summer and into early fall when the tomato harvest is still happening.
The Ingredients
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 to make it gluten free, 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. Farro contains wheat, so it does contain gluten.
- 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. You want them to get juicy and soften, but still hold their shape.
- Kale: Either curly green kale or lacinato kale will work. Just make sure to tear the leaves from their stems 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 the best flavor, I like high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
- Kosher salt & black pepper: I let the vegetables, garlic and scallions take the most attention and keep the seasonings to just salt and pepper.
How To Make Mushroom Tomato Farro
1. Make the farro. 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 retain their satisfyingly chewy consistency. Then drain the farro and remaining water in a fine mesh strainer.
2. Sauté the mushrooms. Warm the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until they start to brown.
3. Add the tomatoes and kale. Keep sautéing until the tomatoes are wrinkled and juicy and the kale wilts, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir in the white parts of the scallions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute until everything is fragrant.
5. Fold in the farro and scallion greens. Make sure that the grains and vegetables are evenly distributed throughout the skillet. Give it a few minutes, so that everything is warmed through.
Serving
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 or a classic house salad. As a side dish, you can serve it with pretty much any protein from chicken to salmon to shrimp.
Leftovers
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat 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 such as kale or baby spinach and turn them into a grain salad with a little vinaigrette.
Recipe Tips
- The cook time for the farro assumes you use pearled farro. Make sure to read the package. Semi-pearled and whole farro will take longer.
- Once you have everything stirred together, taste it to check the seasonings. Add more salt and/or pepper as needed.
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
Mushroom Farro with Tomatoes and Kale
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearled farro, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms (cremini, baby bellas or button), sliced
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 3 scallions thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the farro and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the farro for 12-15 minutes until the grains are tender but still chewy. Pour into a fine mesh strainer to drain the remaining water.
- 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 white parts of the scallions, garlic, salt and pepper, sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the farro and the green scallions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you substitute kale with collard greens.
Yes, you can use collard greens instead of kale.
Hi! This looks delicious. Do we use the white part of the scallions? Thank you!
You add the white parts of the scallions with the garlic, salt and pepper. The recipe is updated. Thanks!