Reduce meat consumption by switching to a diverse, plant-based diet. This delicious recipe is based on farro, one ancient grain that, after being forgotten for sometime, is making a comeback. Farro was extremely popular in ancient Rome, and a staple food for the Roman legions. I use pearled farro that cooks faster, especially after soaking.
Farro can be used as a side dish, in salads, and I am discovering that it can be used as an alternative to rice.
Sustainability tips:
Organic farro is a sustainable crop that can be part of a diverse diet. Spinach can be loaded with pesticide therefore organic better. Remember that supporting organic and sustainable produce goes a long way to reduce harmful pesticide use. I also suggest to avoid produce in plastic bags and to bring your own reusable bags to help reduce the amount of plastic dispersed in the environment. I can send you free cotton grocery and produce bags entirely upcycled from old fabric. Just contact me if you need any.
Useful things to have ready
Rinse and soak the farro and kidney beans together for about 7 hours. Notice that it is not necessary to soak the pearled farro for so long, but soaking will reduce the cooking time and give a creamy consistency to the final dish. A great thing about this recipe is that it can be made as a soup or as a risotto-style dish.
Preparation time: about 30 minutes
Ingredients (3-4 people)
- 2 fistful of soaked farro per person
- 1 bunch of spinach (frozen spinach also works)
- 2-3 fistful of red kidney beans (soaked with farro for about 7 hours)
- 1 chopped tomato (I peel it but is not necessary)
- half onion (if small) or 1/4 (if large) chopped in small pieces
- 1 garlic clove-mashed
- Crushed red chili
- 1 carrot
- 2-3 spoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoons of tomato paste (or tomato sauce)
- Salt
Procedure
- Wash the spinach carefully and chop them.
- Wash and peel the carrot and tomato
- In a pressure cooker heat the oil, add chopped onion, mashed garlic, carrots, crushed chili, and cook for a few minutes on medium heat.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and spinach and let cook for 5 minutes
- Add drained and rinsed farro and kidney beans
- For a soup add enough water to exceed the level of farro, for a risotto-like consistency add enough water to just cover the farro.
- Close the lid and pressure cook for about 15 minutes from when it starts whistling.
- Let the steam out and check consistency. You may need more time depending on the type of cooker and desired consistency.
Enjoy!
Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.
Still undecided? Read here about the destructive impact of the meat industry on forests.
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