Creamy Farro with Swiss Chard  yellow_icon  Green_icon

Serves 2 • Cooking Time 3 to 4 hours on Low or 2 to 3 hours on High • Slow Cooker Size 4 to 7 Quarts

Slug Icon WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: A healthy whole-grain staple in Italian cooking, farro is a hearty grain that lends itself particularly well to the slow cooker. For extra nutty flavor, we briefly toasted the grains in the microwave. Sweet, earthy carrots paired well with the nutty farro and required only the simplest of aromatics—onion, garlic, and fresh thyme—to round out the flavors. Thoroughly stirring the cooked farro with some additional hot water helped to release starches in the grains that gave the dish a pleasant creaminess. To balance the sweet, nutty flavors and boost nutrition, we added slightly bitter Swiss chard to the mix. Since it required minimal Cooking Time, we stirred in the chard near the end of cooking so that it would turn just tender but retain its brightness. Do not substitute pearl, quick-cooking, or presteamed farro for the whole farro in this recipe; you may need to read the ingredient list on the package carefully to determine if the farro is presteamed. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

½

cup whole farro

1

onion, chopped fine

1

tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1

garlic clove, minced

½

teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ⅛ teaspoon dried

3

carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced ¼ inch thick

1

cup vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

¼

cup grated Parmesan cheese

½-1

cup boiling water

8

ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Microwave farro, onion, 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, and thyme in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in carrots, broth, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until farro is tender, 3 to 4 hours on low or 2 to 3 hours on high.

2. Stir Parmesan and ½ cup boiling water into farro until mixture is creamy but still somewhat thin. If farro is stiff and thick, add remaining water as needed, ¼ cup at a time, until mixture is thinned. Stir in Swiss chard, one handful at a time, until slightly wilted. Cover and cook on high until chard is softened, about 20 minutes. (Adjust farro consistency with extra boiling water as needed.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each portion with 1 teaspoon oil before serving.

Per serving:
Cal 360
Fat 12g
Sat Fat 2g
Chol 5mg
Carb 57g
Protein 12g
Fiber 9g
Sodium 980mg
*To reduce sodium level to 670mg, use low-sodium broth.