Instant Pot Farro
Instant Pot Farro – Learn how to cook farro right in your pressure cooker with this easy, no-fuss recipe! It cooks perfectly every time without any hands-on time needed and frees up space on the stovetop!
Farro (also known as emmer wheat) is a wonderfully nutty and chewy ancient grain that is nutritious, delicious and so very versatile. It’s packed with nutrients and flavor and can be served hot or cold.
I’ve been serving up this nutritious grain for several years. If you’re not gluten intolerant, farro is a wonderful ancient grain to add to your meal plans. It’s a lot like barley in taste and texture.
Once cooked, it becomes a plump, chewy grain with a sweet full-bodied flavor and great texture perfect served in casseroles, soups, salads, pilafs, and more.
Reasons to love this grain:
- 7 grams of protein per serving
- Excellent source of dietary fiber with 7 grams per serving
- Un-hybridized form of wheat (it truly is an ancient grain)
- Great source of fiber
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Farro – see below for more about farro
- Salt – a generous pinch is all you need
- Water – can use vegetable broth or vegetable paste for added flavor
Selecting Farro
There are a few types of farro sold in stores and online, so it’s good to know the different variations as they cook differently. Here are the types of farro to look for:
- 10 min – this farro has been precooked and is the fastest cooking of all. I used this 365 10-Min Farro (affiliate link).
- Pearled – most of the bran has been removed.
- Semi-pearled – some of the bran has been removed, retaining most of the nutrients. I used Bob’s Red Mill Farro and Rustichella Farro (affiliate links). This is my all around favorite type to use!
- Whole – the entire grain is intact and cooks up dark and plump. I used this whole grain Emmer Farro (affiliate link), it’s was expensive but it’s the real deal!
For reference, in the picture above you can see the before and after of the whole, semi-pearled and 10 min farro. The cooked portion is on the left, the uncooked is on the right.
How To Make Instant Pot Farro
I’ve tested and retested to come up perfect farro every time. When cooking farro, I used a strainer for ease, but it’s not necessary.
- With strainer: Use 7 cups of water (takes 10 min to come to pressure).
- Without strainer: Use 3 cups of water (takes 5 min to come to pressure).
Cooking times:
- Pearled + Semi-pearled farro: Add farro, water and salt. Manually set to HIGH pressure for 7 minutes for al dente (great for salads) or 8 minutes for softer farro (perfect for soups). Quick release or give 5 minutes before releasing pressure. Drain and rinse farro.
- Whole farro: Add farro, water and salt, HIGH pressure for 10 minutes, set valve to sealing. Give 5 min to natural release.
- Drain and rinse farro.
- 10 Minute Farro: Adjust water with or without the strainer and cook on LOW pressure for 1 minute, set valve to the sealing position. Let natural release for 5 min.
- Drain and rinse farro.
Top Tips
Quick-release safety measure: When venting early, I put a thin folded kitchen towel over the valve so the pressure doesn’t spew liquids all over. If using a thicker towel, just one layer is good. You want to be sure it’s porous enough to let the steam through.
Rinse farro after cooking: Once farro is done, lift the strainer basket (or move the farro to a colander) and give a good rinse under cool or warm running water.
Recommended Equipment: For this Instant Pot, I used this perforated strainer (cutting off the black rubber handle to not cook with plastic), but this official IP mesh strainer combo (affiliate links) looks great too, and on my to-get list!
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 – 6 days.
- Freezer: Cooked farro is can be stored in the freezer for 2 – 3 months. To freeze, spread the grains on a baking sheet in a single layer and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Once the grains are frozen, transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags. It’s important to not skip the initial single layer freeze, or the grains will freeze in one giant clump!
- Make ahead: Farro is great to make ahead so you have it on hand for a quick lunch or dinner.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over low, adding a splash of water for a little moisture, until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until warm.
Ways To Use Instant Pot Farro
This hearty and chewy grain can be used just about anywhere you would use rice, quinoa, or barley. Here are a few of my favorite options:
- Gratin: Serve as a bed for this Kale + Mushroom Gratin.
- Stews + Stroganoff: It’s fantastic served with this Mushroom Bourguignon or Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff.
- Soups: Add to simple soups like this Tomato Basil Soup or Cauliflower Soup, or Vegan Lentil Soup for added heartiness.
- Vegetables: Serve with Savory Sautéed Kale, Vegan Collard Greens, or Skillet Asparagus & Tomato Medley.
- Buddha bowls: Farro is a hearty healthy grain for Roasted Nourish Bowls or this Vegan Buddha Bowl.
- Breakfast bowls: Serve farro with fresh or dried berries, a little Vegan Cream and drizzle of pure maple syrup.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Instant Pot + Stovetop)
- Instant Pot Applesauce
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Instant Pot Red Beans + Rice
- See all vegan Instant Pot recipes on TSV!
If you try this instant pot farro recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintINSTANT POT FARRO (NO-FUSS RECIPE)
Easy, no-fuss Instant Pot Farro cooks without any hands-on time needed, simple add to the instant bowl, set the timer and cook, freeing up space on the stovetop!
- Prep Time: 1 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Side
- Method: pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 3 – 7 cups water
- generous pinch of salt
Instructions
- With strainer: Use 7 cups of water (takes 10 min to come to pressure).
- Without strainer: Use 3 cups of water (takes 5 min to come to pressure).
Cooking times (recipe if for a 6qt. Instant Pot):
- Pearled + Semi-pearled farro: Add farro, water and salt. Manually set to HIGH pressure for 7 minutes for al dente (great for salads) or 8 minutes for softer farro (perfect for soups). Set the valve to SEALING. After cooking, quick release right away or give 5 minutes before releasing pressure.
- Whole farro: Add farro, water and salt, HIGH pressure for 10 minutes, set the valve to SEALING. Give 5 min to natural release before releasing pressure.
- 10 Minute Farro: Adjust water with or without the strainer and cook on LOW pressure for 1 minute, set the valve to SEAL. Let natural release for 5 min.
Drain: Once farro is done, lift the basket (or transfer the farro to a colander) and give it a good rinse under cool or warm running water.
Use in salads, casseroles, soups, nourish bowls, and more.
Serves 4
Notes
Add flavor using vegetable broth or vegetable paste with water.
Tip: When venting early, I put a thin folded kitchen towel over the valve so the pressure doesn’t spew liquids all over. If using a thicker towel, just one layer is good. You want to be sure it’s porous enough to let the steam through.
Storing:
- Refrigerator: Cooked farro can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 – 6 days.
- Freezer: Farro is freezer friendly and be kept for 2 – 3 months in the freezer. To freeze, spread the grains on a baking sheet in a single layer, and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Once the grains are frozen, transfer them to freezer-safe containers or baggies. It’s important to not skip the initial single layer freeze, or the grains will freeze in one giant clump!
- Make ahead: Farro is great to make ahead and keep stored so you have on hand for a quick and easy grain when fixing a quick lunch or dinner.
- Reheat: Warm cooked farro on the stovetop over low, adding a splash of water for a little moisture, until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until warm.
Recommended Equipment: I used this Instant Pot and perforated strainer (cutting off the black rubber handle to not cook with plastic), but this official IP mesh strainer combo looks great too (affiliate links).
FOLLOW TSV on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or RSS for more updates and inspiration!
Thanks for this recipe. Like others, I found the no-strain quantity of water was more than needed, so I strained about 1 1/2 cups off, and will try with less water next time. I used the farro as a substitute for bulgur, to make tabbouleh with mint and lemon pepper roasted chickpeas, yum!
Thanks for sharing, Alix! I cook my farro like pasta, so there will always be water to drain whether I’m using the instant pot or stovetop method. Your tabbouleh with farro sounds delicious! I have a recipe that uses quinoa in place of bulgur which is also great! :)
Just curious, why do you say to drain and rinse with cool water?
Hi Dee, I call for rinsing to remove any film that may have built up during cooking (most likely it’s fine). Also, I’ve updated to use cold or warm running water, depending on what the cooked farro is being used for. Hope that helps!
So excited to try my Bluebird emmer farro! Have you tried toasting the farro before making in the instant pot? I’ve heard it adds another layer of flavor but I didn’t know if it might impact the cooking time.
Great question, Jessica! I have not tried toasting the farro before cooking, but that sounds delicious and should work fine without changing the cooking time. So toast away and finish in the Instant Pot. Enjoy!
Hi, Glad I found you! I’ve had a bag of Farro for so long, not pursuing what to do with it. I recently found a dish on Weight Watcher Vegetarian Recipes. It’s called Farro Shakshouka and a 100% hit! The middle eastern traditional dish is without farro and served with an egg steamed on top. With farro, it’s so good! (I’m not vegan because I occasionally eat an egg so I tried it.) I will make that recipe every week! I wanted to share to see if you’ve tried Farro Shakshouka. Even the name is fun. Thanks for the instant pot method info!
I made one cup of farro in a 3 qt instant pot using 3 cups of broth. Followed the instructions and it turned out great. I just drained the excess broth before serving. Thank you for this easy recipe!
This was a mess. There was far too much liquid, resulting in a big cleaning endeavor of the lid of my instant pot. The liquid with parts of the grain blocked the valve on the interior of the lid. Thank goodness I used water and not broth!
So sorry you had issues, Linda! I’m wondering if you used a 6 qt or 3 qt Instant Pot. I’ve never had these issues using this recipe with my 6 qt.
Great recipe. I did have more liquid but it was easy to strain. I’d rather have more liquid than not enough. I usually make rice. I will now make farro. Great base for any meal.
Ratio for liquid seems off for me. I used 3 cups no strainer and i ended up having to strain about a cup of liquid off after it was done cooking. Wasted some chicken broth that way which was a shame. Farro tasted good after i strained it, but i didnt want to have to strain a lot of liquid off.
Sorry you had to strain more liquids than you thought you would need to. I would much rather have enough liquids, then not enough (as has been the case before), which is why I call for a little extra. I do hope you try again, maybe using 1/2 cup less liquids. Thanks for the feedback, it’s helpful for others too!
Thanks so much for this recipe. It really is fuss-free! Turned out perfect in my IP. My co-op sells pearled farro, so I did 7 mins., and I used “not chicken” broth to cook it in. So happy to have found a simple method for trying this unusual (to me) grain. I’ll be making it more often!
The broth is a great idea for extra flavor! Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa!
I used this recipe to make farro and it turned out great! Perfect texture and so easy!