Meow Recipes: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Kale

Gold spoon scooping up farro with tomatoes and kale. There are red pepper flakes on top.

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If the goal is maximum flavor, incredible texture, satisfying and wholesome ingredients, and LOW KEY cooking, this is the one-pot unicorn that checks every single box.

This recipe is amazing. It seems humble and slightly too healthy at first glance, I know. But it’s something of a miracle.

It’s nutty, chewy, rustic, and just the slightest bit brothy, which is compelling and unexpected and delicious. It’s spoonable like a stew, but textured and chewy more like a pasta. The flavors are mellow from gently cooked thinly sliced onion and garlic, sweet and tomatoey, and earthy and hearty from the kale. Torn basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan take it to a new level, and the extra olive oil that I recommend (require) creates a silky, satisfying, and luscious texture situation. And finally, the red pepper flakes – should you choose to go that route – give it just enough of a spark to keep you hooked bite after bite after chewy, savory bite.

To make it, here’s what you have to do:

Put things in a pan, and simmer them. The end.

Maximum flavor, minimal work. The essence of what we all want in life.

Ingredients for one-pan farro with tomatoes and kale. Ingredients have text over them in purple bubbles.

The Wonderfully Short Ingredient List

tomatoes
kale
farro
onion
garlic
basil
Parmesan

A little extra olive oil, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and you’re running with the big dogs now.

How such lowly, regular ingredients can combine in such a simple way to make something so incredible is just one of the great gifts of the food universe.

Overhead image of the farro, tomatoes, and kale in a pot with a gold spoon.

What I Love About This Recipe

It’s super nutritious in a happy, delicious, want-to-eat-more kind of way.
It makes amazing leftovers, although you’ll need to double or triple the batch if you want to have any left because it goes FAST.
It can be super cozy for fall, but also somehow appropriate for the end of summer? Here for it.
You can just put it on the stove and walk away and do something else.
It’s a customizer’s dream. Add or subtract any veggies that you do or don’t like, and throw some extra protein in there to give it some oomph if you feel like you need it (although you may be as surprised as I was at how much it can really stand on its own). A fried egg, a couple chicken meatballs, a can of white beans or some spicy ground Italian sausage for those who want… it’s a choose your own adventure.

Farro, tomatoes, and kale in blue bowls with a gold spoon. There are fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Kale: FAQs

This looks soooo good! I don’t have farro at my local grocery store though. Is there another grain that could work?

Spelt berries or wheat berries would be good substitutes if you can find those. You can try using quinoa instead if that’s easier to find – it’ll likely just cook a bit faster.

My meat-loving family wants some type of meat in this dish. What do you suggest?

These chicken meatballs are always a fan-favorite or if you want to slide a totally meatless meatball in there to be sneaky, check out the ones from our Sticky Ginger Rice Bowls.

What other veggies would be good in this?

This recipe is suuuuuper versatile and almost any veggie can work. Zucchini, corn, and/or carrots are a few delicious ideas to get started!

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

Source notes: What a gift to us from Deb of Smitten Kitchen. I found this recipe while browsing her YouTube channel which is a great way to spend a little time if you’re needing something to do as you procrastinate real-life responsibilities. As I understand it, this recipe was originally a Martha Stewart recipe that was redone by Deb a few years ago. A few friends shared this recipe with me and when I saw it (again) on her YouTube, I knew it was a sign. One batch of this recipe and I was hooked. It is an essential.

One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Kale

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings

Print Recipe

Description

This One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Kale is a straight-up DREAM! Rustic farro cozied up to cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, and kale. So good and so wholesome!

Ingredients

Units

For the Farro

2 cups water
1 cup farro
half an onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
10 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon salt
a few stalks of kale, stems removed, chopped into small pieces (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil (optional, but makes it a bit more luscious)

Extras for Serving

red pepper flakes
fresh basil
Parmesan
chicken, meatballs, or a fried egg

Instructions

Video

Start the simmer: Add water, farro, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and salt to a medium sized saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Add the kale: Add the kale. Simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.
Finish and serve: Stir in the olive oil, and… you’re done! The farro should be chewy but soft, and there will be just the slightest amount of really delicious brothiness left in the pan. Top with your favorite things – I highly recommend the Parmesan and the red pepper flakes. It’s almost too simple and too good to be true.