Want to know how to cook farro? An easy option is this farro Instant Pot recipe. It’s great for making farro that can be used in all kinds of farro recipes. This post was sponsored by Village Harvest. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Farro is an ancient grain that’s a staple in many Italian kitchens. It can be used in soups, salads, stews, risotto, and other recipes in place of rice or quinoa. It’s a wonderful source of protein and fiber. It can take a while to cook through. Instant Pot farro is easy to make and a great base for many wonderful farro recipes.
Why You Should Use Farro
It’s a Healthy Plant-Based Protein Source
Since we are reducing our meat intake I’m looking for ways to add more protein from plant sources. We prefer to avoid soy and don’t love to eat a lot of beans.
One place you may not think of for adding protein is grains but it can be a very affordable protein source. Rice and wheat have some protein but not a lot. Some other grains like spelt or kamut are a better source of protein, their uses are limited though.
Another grain that is a good source of protein is farro. It’s an ancient grain, first cultivated in 9000 B.C., with twice the protein and fiber as modern wheat. It’s similar to rice but with more protein and fewer carbs. It works really well in recipes that call for rice like soups, salads, stews, and more.
I looked for farro for a long time, thankfully now it’s becoming more common in the US. I also was happy to be able to find a brand that has great sustainability practices, Village Harvest. I really love the product and I love that they produce it in a sustainable way.
Reducing Meat Consumption
For years we did Meatless Mondays in our house. As my husband started to spend more time in the gym and his protein needs increased we got out of the habit.
We prefer to eat pasture-raised meat, local when possible, and it can cost quite a bit of money. Reducing our meat intake can really help save a lot of money on our grocery budget. Reducing your meat intake can also improve your health and is a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
How to Cooking Farro in the Instant Pot
You cook it like rice but while it does absorb a lot of water it doesn’t absorb all of it. Cooking farro on the stove takes about 25 minutes, which isn’t bad but you can make it even faster in an Instant Pot. It can also be made in a rice cooker but an Instant Pot is great because it works as a rice cooker, slow cooker, pressure cooker, and more. I love not having to have multiple appliances and instead only having one that does the job of seven appliances.
Instant Pot Farro
Farro is a great grain with a lot of protein. It's simple to make​ in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Village Harvest farro perlato (pearled), rinsed
- 2 cups water
- seasonings of choice
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of water, rinsed farro, and seasonings into the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and turn vent knob to "sealing."
- Press "Manual" and adjust the time to 10 minutes.
- When done, natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then quick release.
- Drain any remaining liquid.
- Eat as is or use in your favorite recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 67Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
Nutrition facts are estimated.
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Delicious Farro Recipes
Want a few ideas for using farro? Here are some delicious recipes you can try, they are all vegetarian so perfect for Meatless Monday.
- Mushroom and Pea Risotto from Brown Sugar
- Easy Farro Chili from The Almond Eater
- Mediterranean Farro Salad with Spiced Chickpeas from Budget Bytes
- Coconut Mango Breakfast Farro from I Heart Eating
Have you tried cooking farro? What’s your favorite way to eat it? I’d love more ideas!
Heather Denniston says
I totally want t get one of those instant pots! They look like they can do everything!
Lisa Sharp says
You need one, they are amazing.
JennyO says
It CAN do everything, even a cheesecake! And things don’t turn into mush like a traditional slow cooker.
Lisa Sharp says
So true!
Beth says
I haven’t tried Farro, but I think that I should. All of your recipes look quite tasty!
Lisa Sharp says
It’s really delicious. I’m excited to use it more.
Agness of Run Agness Run says
I love farro, Lisa! I liked your recipe and I can’t wait to give it a try!
Tina says
I have wanted to try a instant pot. I will have to get one to try this recipe.
Megan says
Hi Lisa.
I have an instant pot and I love it. I recently bought some farro but it’s not pearled or even semi pearled. Is there a difference in cooking times? Thanks!
Lisa Sharp says
I’m honestly not sure. I would try the above method and add time if needed.
Martha Sippel says
I love farro, and have been eating it for about two years! I’ve been cooking it on the stove, but have just purchased an Instant Pot, so am going to try cooking it that way soon. I add farro to soups, and augment my salads, with it, too.
Lisa Sharp says
Hope it works well for you!
Robinspitzer@sbcglobal.net says
I put farro in my home baked breads!
Lisa Sharp says
What a neat idea! I will have to try it.
Deb Comstock says
This is the first time I’ve cooked it in an electric pressure cooker. I use broth/stock in place of water and when it’s done, I mix in grated Parmesan Cheese. Delicious !
Lisa Sharp says
Sounds wonderful! Glad it worked well for you.
Alison Kriviskey says
There is an old fashioned trick for cooking farro. Rinse it and then toss it in a hot DRY skillet for a few minutes until it begins to smell toasted. Remove from pan immediately and proceed with recipe. This really improves the flavor of farro.
Eileen says
I do the same,excepI I sauté some onions and garlic, then add farro. Sauté a little longer. When you add the liquid, make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot or the BURN -indicator might come on. Love my IP
Lisa Sharp says
Sounds great!
Matt says
I’ve been using this recipe for a while now…perfect every time. I’ve just switched to getting the Farro in bulk at my local store. Followed this and was still totally raw. Did the same batch another 10 minutes and still barely chewable. What might be wrong??
Lisa Sharp says
I’m not sure, did you add enough liquid?
Matt says
Yes. A ton left. Seems like none soaked in at all.
Lisa Sharp says
I’m not sure, I’ve never had something like this happen. Have you tried cooking it on the stove to see if the same thing happens?
Barry says
The difference could be the finish – pearled, semi-pearled, or unpearled. Each has a significantly different cooking time using regular cooking methods.
I’m trying this recipe for the first time as I type with semi-pearled. I’ll report back my findings.
Lisa Sharp says
I’d love to know how it goes.
Barry says
It was perfect! Semi-pearled farro was soft with a bit of chew. This now my go-to for cooking farro. Thank you! Can’t wait to try and replicate Thomas Keller’s Buttered Farro Recipe in the pressure cooker.
Lisa Sharp says
Oh, this makes me so happy. I’m glad it worked well.
Katleen says
Perhaps the bulk farro you purchased was not pearled, meaning it had the full hull/covering and therefore not soaking in the liquid?
Redsail says
The timing did not work for me. After the suggested timings the farro was still uncooked. I put it in for another 5 min with 2 min natural release and it was still underdone. I finally just did the high slow cook in the instanpot and it took over four house to get to a chewable texture. Next time I will soak the farro overnight or set the instantpot for a much longer time. I used a homemade vegetable broth for the liquid and it was delicious in flavor.
Lisa Sharp says
Did you do slow cook instead of pressure cook? It will take much longer for the slow cook option.
Kathe says
Followed directions exactly and it was mushy and not quite done at the same time. Lots of thick liquid in the bottom. So disappointed.
Lisa Sharp says
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s worked well for me any many others. I’m not sure what happened. There should be some liquid left but it shouldn’t be mushy. Maybe try less time?
Karissa says
Thank you for this recipe!! Love how easy the Instant Pot makes everything!
Victoria says
Great recipe for busy nights! Yum!
Alison says
Thanks! Love how easy this is. I’m going to try adding the farro in my stuffed peppers tomorrow! The pre-cooked farro will make it so much faster.
Deanna Piercy says
I love the way the Instant Pot makes it so much faster to cook things like beans and grains. We are trying to transition to more plant-based meals and I’m eager to try farro.
Joy says
Thanks for sharing this! I’m always looking for Instant Pot recipes!
Lisa Sharp says
You’re welcome!
Corrie says
I am sorry to say that this didn’t work for me either, at least not as written. I used the exact same farro, but it totally wasn’t done at the end of 10 minutes. I added a bit more liquid, cooked for 3 minutes on manual, then let it do natural pressure release for 40 minutes. Then it was perfect.
Lisa Sharp says
I’m sorry, I’ve done this a few times and it’s worked each time. How much did you use? The same amount?
Gabriel says
Also didn’t work for me. I think its dependent on what kind of farro you are using. You may want to specific which kind you used. I used Emmer Farro, whole grain, since that’s what was in the bulk section of my grocery store. It took 25 minutes on Manual. Could have used a bit more even.
Lisa Sharp says
Sorry to hear that. I did share what brand I used in the recipe and post. Others have used other types and said it worked but it may work from some and not others. Thank you for the feedback, sorry it didn’t work as written for you.
Gabriel Baron says
Yes, I saw you mentioned the brand. As others have pointed out the cooking time will be drastically different depending on whether the farro is pearled, semi-pearled, or not pearled at all. That’s what I meant by perhaps specifying which type you used. Maybe your packaging did not say?
Lisa Sharp says
The one I used is linked in the post. It’s Farro Perlato and perlato means pearly so it should be pearled.
mom2jae says
I had some Farro in my pantry and after opening my instant pot and trying hard boiled eggs first, this was the 2nd thing I tried, It turned out perfectly! Thank you!
Lisa Sharp says
I’m so glad it worked well for you! Hope you enjoy your Instant Pot.
Stewart Logie says
I usually cook farro in a rice cooker on the brown rice setting and it works well, but I didn’t have enough time and tried this method. Unfortunately 10 minutes isn’t enough -it came out very chewy.
Lisa Sharp says
I’m sorry to hear that. It seems like there may be some difference in different farro. I recommend trying again with a bit more time. I’d love to know how it goes if you do.
Lyn D'Al says
This recipe worked perfectly for me in the Instant Pot!
I then threw it into my rice cooker on the keep warm setting, and it soaked up the remaining liquid and softened a touch more. Thanks.
Lisa Sharp says
Great idea! Glad it worked well for you.
lb says
Hello, I just bought farro for the first time as I’ve read it’s easier to digest than traditional wheat. However it was in the bulk bin only labeled “organic split farro” , how do i know if this means pearled? Thanks!?
Lisa Sharp says
The one way I know how to check if it’s not labeled is how long it takes to cook. You may want to try cooking it on the stove-top, just a small amount. If it cooks in 30 minutes or less without soaking it is likely pearled.