Instant Pot Farro {+Farro Bowl}

Name: Instant Pot Farro {+ Farro Bowl}
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil; 2 cups vegetable broth or water; 1 cup farro; salt & pepper, to taste; 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 1/2 cup roasted red peppers; 1/2 cucumber, diced; 1/2 red onion, diced; 1/4 cup Feta cheese, for garnish; tzatziki, to serve; Chopped parsley, to serve; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp oregano; 1 clove garlic, minced; Salt & pepper, to taste

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This Instant Pot Farro is super easy and comes together in just 15 minutes. Use the superfood grain to make a healthy and nutritious bowl!

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil – any neutral oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or grapeseed oil will work here.
Vegetable broth – water can be used instead.
Farro – this recipe is for farro but can also work for barley, quinoa or another grain. If you’re using a different grain, cooking time may vary.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Farro bowls

Chickpeas – use rinsed and drained canned chickpeas for easy preparation. If you’re not a fan of chickpeas, use canned beans of your choice.
Roasted red peppers – swap out for roasted eggplant, roasted zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh red bell peppers or another veggie of your choice.
Cucumber – for a similar crunch use celery, carrots, radish or any other veggie of your choice.
Red onion – leave this out or replace with another vegetable of your choice.
Feta cheese – crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese or cottage cheese can all work in this recipe.
Tzatziki – if you’re in a pinch, use plain Greek yogurt, hummus or tahini in place of tzatziki.
Parsley – fresh cilantro or basil would also be good.

Oregano dressing

Olive oil – see substitution notes above.
Lemon juice – fresh or bottle lemon or lime juice can be used to make this dressing.
Oregano – dried oregano is preferred for this dressing, but basil can be used if you don’t have any oregano.
Garlic – garlic powder or fresh minced garlic can be used for this dressing.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

How to cook farro in the Instant Pot

Step 1: Add everything to the Instant Pot.

Add the olive oil, vegetable broth, farro, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot in order. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Prep your toppings.

While the farro is cooking, prepare your toppings and make the dressing.

Step 3: Do a natural pressure release.

Do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.

Step 4: Assemble your bowls and serve.

Serve the farro in large bowls with any toppings and drizzle with dressing.

What to serve with farro

If farro has been a foreign grain to you for some time, you may be wondering how to incorporate it into your diet. Look no further – I’m here with a few different ways to enjoy this hearty grain.

Here are some of my favourite ways to serve farro:

Add it into a hearty soup for extra protein
Use it as a rice substitute for a delicious stir fry
Add it into your next casserole dish
Serve it with your favourite Mediterranean dishes (hummus, tabouleh, falafels, etc.)
Sprinkle it on top of a salad

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ratio of water to farro?

The ratio of water to farro is 1:3. So for every one cup of dried farro, you’ll need 3 cups of water or broth for this Instant Pot farro recipe. Cooking the farro in broth enriches the grain with great flavour, but water will work just as well.

Do you need to soak or rinse it first?

You don’t need to soak the farro before cooking it, but I’d recommend rinsing it off first to get rid of any coating.

Can you double this recipe?

If your Instant Pot is big enough, you can double up on the recipe (just make sure you don’t go over the maximum line). The cooking time will remain the same.

How do you know when farro is cooked?

When you open up your Instant Pot after cooking, there will still be quite a bit of liquid in the pot – but don’t worry! That doesn’t mean it isn’t cooked. Farro won’t soak up all the liquid when cooking. If it’s tender and chewy, you know that it’s done.

Storing and reheating

Once cooked, this Instant Pot farro will last in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. This makes it a great food prep grain to have on hand! When you’re ready to reheat it, sprinkle some water or extra broth on top to ensure that it doesn’t dry out then microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes.

If you want to make these farro Instant Pot bowls for meal prep, store everything together in a meal prep container and enjoy your bowl the next day. You can enjoy the farro cold, so this dish won’t need any reheating. If you prefer to have warm farro, store it separately and heat it up before adding it to the rest of your bowl ingredients.

Can you freeze farro?

To extend the life of the cooked Instant Pot farro, you can store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. To freeze, you will want to lay the cooked farro on a baking sheet to flash-freeze it. This step is optional but it ensures that the farro doesn’t freeze together in one clump.

Once the farro has been flash-frozen, transfer it to an airtight container or a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. When you’re ready to enjoy, let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.

More Instant Pot grain recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on using this healthy grain in your weekly lunches.
Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls.