Creamy Farro Risotto Recipe (Vegetarian)
This creamy farro risotto recipe is a wonderful side dish and loaded with vegetables cooked slow in a creamy sauce. It’s simple, hearty, vegetarian, and a fantastic one-pot side dish.
Start by sautéing some fresh vegetables and adding toasted farro, vegetable broth and stirring until you have a creamy velvety sauce. See our step-by-step photos in the post below and make this farro along with us today.
Want more vegetarian side dish recipes? Try our warm chickpea and arugula salad, sweet and sour green cabbage, and our favorite meatless baked ziti recipe.
If you haven’t tried farro before, you will love this hearty chewy grain! Farro is similar shape and texture to barley and can be cooked like a thick, Italian style risotto for the perfect accompaniment to your favorite protein.
Start by sauteing onions, celery, carrots and fresh garlic until softened and fragrant. Toast the farro in the pan and add in a creamy and delicious broth a little at a time until it’s absorbed in the farro like a risotto. A simple, easy side you can make with very little fuss.
Notes from the Kitchen
- This farro risotto is rich, velvety, delicious, and so flavorful.
- A hearty vegetarian side dish idea.
- This versatile farro recipe goes great with your favorite protein.
- A sophisticated and impressive side for dinner parties.
- Cooks of any skill level, even if you’ve never cooked farro before, can make this recipe by following along with our step-by-step photos and video below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
See our recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
Start with whole dried farro. You can usually find farro near the rice or whole grains in your grocery store or order some online.
There’s a great variety of vegetables in the side dish including onions, carrots, celery and garlic. All of these veggies are sauteed in butter until soft, giving the dish a wonderful earthy flavor.
For spices, we use thyme, salt, and pepper to flavor this dish. We also finish the farro with a bit of fresh lemon juice and zest to give it a bright citrusy pop.
And for the creamy broth we use both vegetable broth as well as stirring in a bit of half and half at the end for a super rich and velvety texture.
Additions and Substitutions
If you wanted to use herbs de Provence or Italian seasonings instead of the thyme, you could add those in as good substitutes and still have the same great flavor.
For an Italian twist, you can finish the dish with freshly grated or shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese. For a vegetarian version, make sure you get a Parmesan cheese that does not have rennet in the ingredients, which is an animal byproduct.
You could also finish the dish with fresh parsley or stir in other vegetables like sliced mushrooms, roasted bell pepper or sugar snap peas for a bright twist.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions
Step 1: In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, carrots, and celery and saute for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Step 2: Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the farro and lightly toast it for a few minutes.
Step 3: Pour in 2 cups of the vegetable broth, and stir. Cover the pan, and cook for 8 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Remove the lid and pour in the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth, add the lemon zest and juice to the farro
Step 5: Cover again and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed
Step 6: Pour in the half and half, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with extra thyme and lemon zest if preferred.
Watch Our How-To Video
Or you can watch our video on how to make this farro risotto, and make it along with us! You can find the video on our YouTube Channel, plus many more.
Recipe FAQs
Our farro risotto recipe is extra creamy by stirring small amounts of vegetable broth in with the farro as it cooks. We also add a little bit of half and half in at the end for extra velvety richness.
You can serve this farro as a side dish along with crispy baked tofu, tempeh, or delicious toasted chickpeas.
Our delicious vegetarian farro risotto recipe has dried farro, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, vegetable broth, and a splash of half and half to give it a super creamy sauce.
Serving Suggestions
We love serving this side dish with our crispy tofu with cornstarch! Or our crispy honey garlic tofu recipe.
It’s also great to enjoy for lunch along with a big berry spinach salad or Italian chopped salad.
Or make it a whole dish! You can follow our recipe for sesame tofu bowls and use this farro instead of the brown rice.
Expert Tips
- When you are adding the broth to the farro, make sure you stir a little bit at a time and wait for the farro to absorb that before adding more liquid.
- If you find the farro is too thick, you can add an additional half cup of broth or half and half as desired.
- Season to taste! Before serving, taste the farro and add more salt and pepper or lemon juice if desired. Or if you’re up for it, add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese is a great topping.
- To make this vegan, use full-fat coconut milk in place of the half & half, and a plant-based butter or olive oil.
More Easy Plant-Based Side Dish Recipes
- Chickpea Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
- Miso Soup with Mushrooms Recipe
- Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Sauce Recipe
- Marinated Mozzarella Pasta Salad Recipe
- White Bean and Olive Salad Recipe
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Creamy Farro Risotto (Vegetarian)
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 carrots
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon thyme or herbs de Provence
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1.5 cups dried farro
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 cup half and half
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, carrots, and celery and saute for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the farro and lightly toast it for a few minutes. Pour in 2 cups of the vegetable broth, and stir. Cover the pan, and cook for 8 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and pour in the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth, add the lemon zest and juice to the farro
- Cover again and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed,
- Pour in the half and half, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with extra thyme and lemon zest if preferred.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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