How to Cook Farro Instant Pot Recipe - Retro Housewife Goes Green (2024)

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 recipesin 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.

You can also cook up a big batch of farro in the Instant Pot to keep on hand for meals. It’s good for about 4 days in the fridge once you cook the farro.

Why You Should Use Farro

Reducing meat consumption is good for our health and the environment and that means looking for plant-based protein sources. There are many good ones out there like beans and lentils but variety is what makes these lifestyle changes a little easier.

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 helpsave a lot of money on our grocery budget. Reducing your meat intake can also help improve heart health and reduce cancer risks.

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.

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 you can also cook farro 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.

Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe plus a printable recipe card.

You’ll need just a few ingredients to make your farro.

• farro perlato (pearled)
• water
• seasonings of choice

First you will want to rinse your farro. Put your farro in a strainer and rinse it until the water is no longer cloudy. The process is just like rinsing rice.

Once you have your rinsed farro, add water, the farro, and whatever seasonings you want to use to your Instant Pot. You can also use broth to cook your farro if you’d like.

Now just close the lid, make sure your vent knob is on sealing and press “manual” and adjust the time to 10 minutes. Once the farro is done let it naturally release the pressure for 5 minutes and then you can quick release.

You will want to drain the remaining liquid and now you can use your farro in your favorite recipes or store in the fridge once cooled to use in recipes later in the week.

Get an Instant Pot Cheat Sheet

Trying to use your Instant Pot more often? Be sure to print off my free Instant Pot Cheat Sheet. It gives you times for all kinds of delicious food in your Instant Pot.

Delicious Farro Recipes

Want a few ideas for using farro? Here are some delicious farro recipes you can try, they are all vegetarian so perfect for Meatless Monday. Don’t forget to also try using farro to replace rice in some of the dishes you are already enjoying.

• 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!