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Baked Farro with Tomatoes and Herbs

Source: yupitsvegan.com
Print Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups uncooked farro
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallot
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes with juices
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme or basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley or fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • For the walnut topping:
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Sort through the farro to remove any broken grains and rinse in a colander.
  • In a large saucepan over medium, sauté the garlic and shallot in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes to soften the shallot. Stir in the farro and the bay leaf and sauté for another minute, then pour in the vegetable broth and the tomatoes.
  • Increase the heat to high and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add oregano, thyme, and salt. Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with a little more salt, if desired (if using water, you may want to), then stir in the parsley and nutritional yeast.
  • Pour the farro mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the farro has absorbed almost all of the liquid.
  • Pulse together the topping ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor (or pound with a mortar and pestle) into coarse crumbs.
  • Take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil, and cover the top evenly with the walnut topping. Drizzle those 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and bake for 10 minutes to lightly brown the top of the casserole.
  • For best results, allow the casserole to sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly and firm up a bit. Serve warm; this casserole tastes even better the next day after the flavors have blended a bit more.

Notes

Author's note: Rich and cheesy tasting without a lick of cheese (and with plenty of nutritional yeast), this comforting and easy tomato and herb-drenched baked farro casserole may bump your favorite pasta bake down a notch or two. Farro is a rustic, chewy variety of whole-kernel wheat rich in protein and fiber, and usually stocked in nice groceries with other heirloom grains, such as quinoa, or look wherever Mediterranean pastas and rices are sold.
Shannon's notes: I've reduced the oil for the shallots and garlic by half with no ill effects. Also, I found it easier to pre-mix the olive oil with the walnuts rather than drizzling it on afterward. My only other change was to used crushed rather than diced tomatoes.