Farro, Lentil & Root Vegetable Bowl
Hey guys! For those of you who checked out my first recipe, the color of my sweet potato in this next recipe should be familiar. I had one of the lovely purple sweet potatoes left from last week, so I wanted to make sure I used it this week, as well! Beets and sweet potatoes are always a great combination in my opinion, so I managed to snag some beets at the farmers market this weekend. The weather has been slightly cooler here in Atlanta the past few days, which means a nice warm bowl of grains and vegetables is very timely for my meal plan this week.
Farro is one of my favorite grains. The texture is very hearty and the flavor just a bit nutty. Like many of the ancient grains, it is packed with fiber and protein to keep you full and your blood sugar level—especially paired with the lentils. I cooked both the farro and lentils together as they have similar cooking times. If you would like to substitute another grain you definitely can, you just may need to cook separately if it will take more or less than the 30-minute range.
Unfortunately most people in the United States do not come anywhere close to meeting the daily recommendations for fiber intake. Adding things like lentils and actual whole grains (sorry, donuts do not count), upping your intake of vegetables, and adding a handful (or two) of greens to most of your meals are all simple ways to increase the fiber content of your diet. Personally I am much more of an advocate of whole food fiber over supplements or fiber-added products. Our bodies know better how to process whole foods, plus intact fiber usually comes with the added benefit of the other vitamins and minerals in the food itself! Of course if you have any sort of inflammatory digestive disorder (diverticulitis, IBS, chronic colitis), consult your doctor or a register dietician before drastically increasing your fiber intake.
As always, if you have any questions or end up trying this recipe, please leave me a comment or share it with your friends! Enjoy!
Farro, Lentil & Root Vegetable Bowl
Makes 6 Servings
- 1 cup farro
- 1 cup French green (Puy) lentils
- 2 ½ cups water or vegetable broth
- 3 medium shallots, chopped
- 1 pound sweet potato, shredded*
- 1 pound beets, peeled and shredded
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- 1 tablespoon blueberry balsamic vinegar**
- 1 (6-ounce) package arugula or other greens of choice
- Sunflower seeds for serving
Pick through both your farro and lentils to make sure there are no pebbles (it is rare, but I have found a little pebble on occasion in my dried legumes). Place in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water, then transfer to a medium saucepan and add the water or broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
While your farro and lentils cook, warm up a large skillet on medium and add your chopped shallots. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and adding tablespoons of water as necessary to prevent sticking and burning. Add your shredded beets, sweet potatoes, and ground sage to the pan with the shallots. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and add the vinegar.
To serve, divide the arugula up into 6 bowls. Add about ¾ cup of the grain mixture on top of the greens, followed by a similar amount of the vegetable mixture. Top with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds for a nice crunch!
*I used the food processor to shred both my sweet potatoes and beets to make it easier. You can also use a spiralizer to make noodles out of them!
**I love using flavored balsamic vinegars from Oli + Ve, and blueberry and sage go very well together. You could definitely substitute regular balsamic or even red wine vinegar if you do not have blueberry.
