We've been making this Farro Pilaf with Mushrooms for years. It's bursting with delicious flavors and textures—silky kale, salty feta cheese, umami-rich mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, high-protein beans, and nutty farro. And perhaps best of all, it comes together in just 30 minutes.
This recipe is hearty enough to be eaten as a vegetarian main dish. But, it also makes a delicious side salad or healthy meal-prep lunch. However you choose to serve it, we bet you'll want to make it again and again!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes: This recipe comes together quickly, with minimal active cooking involved. So, it makes a healthy go-to weeknight dinner!
- Make Ahead Friendly: Farro pilaf can be served warm or cold. It keeps well in the fridge, so leftovers make for a protein-packed lunch the next day. And, you can easily make this farro pilaf in advance if you're entertaining.
- Protein-packed: This vegetarian (and vegan-friendly) dish is packed with protein from the farro, beans, almonds, and feta. So, it'll keep you full and satisfied.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
- Farro: Farro is a whole grain that's pleasantly chewy and tastes slightly nutty. It's usually sold in the grain aisle of the grocery store—and often in the bulk section.
- Kale: You could use any type of kale here. But, if you're not a fan of kale, use spinach or arugula instead. Just keep in mind that kale is quite sturdy, so tender greens like spinach or arugula will wilt faster if you have leftovers.
- Mushrooms: We prefer shiitake mushrooms in this recipe for their flavor and high concentration of umami. But you could also substitute other types of mushrooms if you prefer.
- Cannellini Beans: Canned beans are a quick and easy way to add more protein and fiber to this dish. You could substitute another white bean, such as navy beans or butter beans instead.
- Almonds: Toasted almonds add a pleasant crunch to this dish. Pine nuts would be a delicious swap. Or, you can leave the nuts out entirely.
- Feta: Feta adds a creamy, salty element to this farro pilaf. If you're vegan, choose a vegan feta substitute or skip it.
Want to try other farro recipes? Check out our Creamy Farro Risotto with Greens, Grain Bowl with Spinach and Feta Pesto, and Grain Salad with Fresh Lemon.
How to make (step-by-step photos)
Here's how to make this 30 minute farro pilaf recipe:
Serving suggestions
This Farro Pilaf with Mushrooms makes a delicious and protein-packed main. But, it can also be served as a vegetarian side.
Farro pilaf is delicious paired with all sorts of foods—including soups, baked beets, air fryer cabbage, seared halloumi cheese, roasted brussels sprouts, or a protein of your choice.
This dish is make-ahead friendly, so it keeps well for meal prep lunches. You can enjoy this farro pilaf warm or cold—it's delicious either way!
Love make-ahead salads? Check out our Halloumi Couscous Salad, Mediterranean Tortellini with Pesto, Orzo Pesto Salad, Greek Cucumber Salad, and Vegetarian Lentil Nicoise Salad recipes.
Frequently asked questions
Farro is sold either as: whole, semi-pearled, or pearled. Pearled farro has had all of the grain's outer husk removed. Therefore, it is the fastest to cook. Pearled farro is ready in about 10 minutes.
Yes, this Farro Pilaf with Mushrooms recipe can easily be made vegan. Just use a vegan feta cheese substitute, or leave it out entirely. The rest of this dish is vegan as is.
You can serve this dish warm or cold—it's delicious either way!
As with most home-cooked leftovers, refrigerate and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review below!
📖 Recipe
Farro Pilaf with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup pearled farro (or semi-pearled or whole, see note 1)
- 2 cups vegetable broth (more if needed)
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced (see note 2)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- Black pepper (to taste)
- 2 cups thinly sliced kale (destemmed)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 (15 oz/14 fl oz/398 ml) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (see note 3)
- ½ cup toasted unsalted almonds, roughly chopped (see note 4)
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced (packed in oil, drained)
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup crumbled feta (vegan, if needed)
Instructions
- Cook farro: In a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the farro and vegetable broth. Stir to mix. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until farro is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the farro, reserving the remaining cooking liquid in a bowl (for later).
- Cook mushrooms: Meanwhile, in a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss kale: In a large serving bowl combine kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice. Use your hands to rub the oil and lemon juice into the kale until well coated.
- Finish assembling: To the bowl of kale, add cooked farro, cooked mushrooms, cannellini beans, almonds, sundried tomatoes, parsley, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and about ½ cup of the reserved stock (see note 5). Toss to mix. Season with pepper to taste (and more salt, if needed). Sprinkle feta over top, then serve.
Notes
- Farro: Substituting with semi-pearled or whole farro will extend cooking time. Semi-pearled farro takes 20 to 30 minutes. Whole farro typically requires an overnight soak in water, with cooking time of about 45 minutes. Refer to package instructions if in doubt. If you're using semi-pearled or whole farro, add more broth as needed to ensure the grains are submerged while cooking.
- Mushrooms: You can substitute with another type of mushroom if you prefer (e.g. cremini, wild mushroom mix, etc.).
- Beans: You can substitute another type of white bean, such as navy beans, butter beans, or Great Northern beans.
- Toasting almonds: If you want to toast your own at home...scatter raw (untoasted) almonds on a baking sheet. Bake at 325°F (165°C) until golden brown and fragrant, 6 to 10 minutes, stirring half way.
- Reserved stock: Make sure to keep the extra stock after draining the farro! This flavorful liquid will help to "dress" the salad and bring the flavors together. Feel free to adjust the amount used, depending on how dry/moist you want the pilaf to be. If you forget to reserve the cooking stock, you can use new vegetable stock to replace it.
Erica Purcell says
I love making this for dinner on Sundays; if there's anything leftover it makes such good weekdays lunches!