Alphabet Soup : F - Farro with Sausage and Chard

F is for  farro.

Farro is a healthy grain with lots of protein. It kinda looks like puffed rice, and tastes pasta-like.

Tonight I made a farro dish based from a recipe I found on Pinterest.  You can see the original recipe here.

 I followed the recipe mostly, including making my own roasted tomato sauce. My tomatoes were not very sweet though, so after I had my sauce made I put it back on the stove and simmered it with more seasoning, 1 grated carrot (for sweetness), 1 small can of no salt tomato sauce, 1 bay leaf, a small piece of green pepper, and a little beer (maybe 1/4-1/2 cup), I also added a little Splenda because it still was too sour/bitter, It simmered about an hour and then it was good.  Below is my version of the recipe, which is just a little different from the original.  I tasted it, and thought it tasted like a good pasta with sauce, but didn't eat any because I have a sore throat and thought the acidity of the tomatoes might irritate it.. DH really liked it. 

Here is a link to my spoon reviews in case you are
interested. 

Farro with Sausage and Chard

4.25 oz dry farro (half a bag of Trader Joe's farro)
8 oz sliced Jennie-o turkey sausage
4 large chard leaves with stems. Stems chopped & leaves roughly chopped. Keep separate.
1 c or more (I used more) of your favorite roasted tomato sauce or pasta sauce
freshly grated Parmesan


Cook the farro according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

For the rest of the recipe go to A Good Appetite or check out my Pinterest page under Vegetarian/Vegan recipes.

Note:  This would be good with wilted spinach too. The chard, which I had never worked with before, is a little heartier/thicker than spinach and so it doesn't wilt as quickly or easily as spinach does. DH enjoyed the chard, and it is good for you, but spinach is also and option.

I made this with turkey sausage because I had it, and the original recipe called for bulk Italian sausage. I made this healthier change since DH likes turkey sausage and he doesn't eat pork. DH also said that while he liked it with the turkey sausage slices in it, that it probably isn't absolutely necessary given the high protein content of the farro.  Good to know, because I am a vegetarian and wouldn't eat the sausage anyway.

I may try this again adding some vegetables and making it a Primavera Farro with Chard.

F is for farro.