Toasted Farro Bowl with Swiss Chard

This farro bowl is everything I love about seasonal cooking. It’s just so simple and so GOOD. The ingredients speak for themselves. And even though we only really rely on a good olive oil, preserved lemon and basic ingredients to build the flavor profile, it still turns into the most hearty, delicious and wholesome grain bowl. Can you tell I fall in love easily? 😍

This farro grain bowl really uses every ingredient to its advantage. There’s the toasted, nutty farro, the lemon for brightness, the olive oil for richness and pomegranate seeds for that extra sweetness and crunch. And the bonus is that it is just packed with vegetables. Swiss chard is BEAUTIFUL and so abundant this year, so it just had to be the star of the bowl.

It’s easy to just look at it as a roasted veggie farro bowl (and we LOVE a roasted veg bowl), but I promise, the flavors and textures will hit you like something else. This is my new staple farro bowl recipe that will probably be keeping me sane through the rest of December.

Why swiss chard for this farro bowl recipe?

Swiss chard is one of my favorite greens, because it simultaneously has heft and crunch, but also has leaves that are tender and can wilt easily. Also similar to kale or collard greens, swiss chard absorbs the flavor of the meals it is mixed into. So chard is the sponge to soak up all the flavor from the ingredients in this roasted veggie farro bowl.

The other reason I love swiss chard is because it’s in season right now, and the closer we can get to eating the seasons, the better the ingredients will taste! Because this farro grain bowl is so minimal, it’s important to source the best ingredients we can. And that’s why I opt for swiss chard in this recipe.

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE COLORS 😍 kale could never.

The ingredients for this farro bowl

Now let’s get to the ingredients. Here is what you will need for this farro grain bowl:

• 12 ounces uncooked farro
• 2 lbs swiss chard
• 1 small white onion
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 of a preserved lemon, finely chopped
• a generous pour of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

What is preserved lemon?

Preserved lemon is a middle eastern condiment that I love. It’s essentially pickling a lemon in salt and lemon juice until you can eat the entire thing, but instead of the typical sharp acidity, it as a more mild, briny, but still acidic flavor.

You can buy preserved lemons or you can make your own, either way they are a great addition to simple meals like this. I’ve found a preserved lemon adds a bigger pop of flavor to this, but if you want to just opt for lemon zest and lemon juice in this recipe, that’s fine too.

How to prepare the swiss chard

The swiss chard is used in two ways in this recipe. First we separate the leafy tops from the stalks, since the recipe uses both in a different way.

The stalks are chopped and sautéed with the onion, garlic and lemon until they are soft, and then only after the farro is added do we add in the leaves and let them wilt with the entire mix. This is to make sure we don’t overcook the leaves and lose any of their texture and flavor.

How to prepare the onion, garlic and preserved lemon

The onion will need to be diced for this recipe. I suggest then using a microplane to mince the garlic, and then a paring knife to chop up the preserved lemon.

This recipe calls for using the rind and the inside of the lemon, so it’s easiest to chop it all together instead of trying to cut the rind first and then the inside.

Cooking the vegetables for this farro grain bowl

Bring a large skillet to medium heat and add a generous glug of olive oil, sautée the onion until it is lightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and preserved lemon and cook down until the garlic is softened, about 2 more minutes.
Add in the chopped swiss chard stems (stems only) and cook down, stirring occasionally) until the stems are softened, about another 4 minutes. Season to taste.

The best way to toast the farro

While the pan is still on medium heat, add the farro to the vegetables and stir so that the farro makes contact with the skillet. This will enhance the nutty flavor of the farro and bring some deeper flavor notes to this roasted veggie farro bowl.

Looking for other grain bowl recipes?

Here are a few crowd-favorites from the blog!

And that’s everything for this vegan and gluten free snickerdoodle recipe!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories, and I’m so excited to see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!