As easy and quick to make as it is tasty, this One Pot Spinach & Blood Orange Farro Recipe is a healthy, vegan and WFPB meal that’s great to serve after a day of over-indulging to help bring the body back to balance.
Ahhhh, farro! The ancient, unsung hero of all grains. If you’re looking to add whole grains, protein and fiber to your diet, this, hungry friends, is the stuff! Farro is one of the oldest, cultivated grains. Originally discovered in the Middle East, it is the perfect ingredient upon which to base a meal. It also plays a starring role in my One Pot Spinach & Blood Orange Farro Recipe.
Because yesterday was Thanksgiving, I thought I’d post this healthy Farro Recipe for those of you who over-indulged. I was home with a pulled muscle in my back and didn’t go out. Instead, this is what I cooked in lieu of an entire Thanksgiving dinner. And guess what? It was perfect!
Ingredients
This Farro Recipe is super easy to make and requires only 8 ingredients. Check them out below:
- Farro
- Vegetable broth
- Spinach (rinsed w/ stems removed)
- Blood oranges wedges (be sure to remove rind)
- Dried cranberries
- Chopped pecans
- Fresh Rosemary
- Sea salt
How to Make this Recipe
My One Pot Spinach & Blood Orange Farro Recipe takes only 30 minutes and two steps from prep to plate. Here’s how you work it:
Step 1: Add 1 cup Farro and 3 cups veggie broth to a medium sauce or fry pan. Bring to boil. Turn down heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.
Step 2. Once Farro is fully cooked, remove from heat and add spinach, blood orange slices, pecan and rosemary. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste if desired. Give it a good stir and cover for 5 minutes, just until spinach is wilted. Whalla, that’s all it takes.
Expert Tips
- It’s best to rinse Farro before cooking in a fine sieve under cold, running water.
- My One Pot Spinach & Blood Orange Farro Recipe can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- If you don’t have vegetable broth, use water instead and just season a bit more in the end.
- Substitute regular oranges if you can’t get blood oranges where you live.
- Although I couldn’t find any, baby spinach is best to use.
- Feel free to add other vegetables and spices as you see fit. I wanted to keep it simple.
- Because this recipe is Whole Food Plant Based, it doesn’t use oil. If you want to add oil to the recipe, do so during Step 2 above.
Benefits of Eating Farro
Besides being delicious and versatile, Farro has a number of awesome health benefits. Not only is it low in calories and fat, but it’s high in fiber and protein and loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients such as magnesium, zinc and B vitamins. Compared to white rice, it’s far healthier and you’re going to love its chewy, nutty taste, as well.
If you like one-pot recipes, be sure to check out the following:
- Instant Pot Chickpea & Red Pepper Soup
- Instant Pot Tinga Tacos
- One-Pot Chickpea Coconut Curry
- One-Pot Vegan Enchiladas
One Pot Spinach & Blood Orange Farro Recipe (WFPB)
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro rinsed and drained
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bunch spinach rinsed and patted dry
- 3-4 medium blood oranges skinned and cut into wedges
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pecans
- 2 sprigs rosemary snipped into small pieces
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Into medium sauce or fry pan, add 1 cup farro and 3 cups vegetable broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
- While the farro is cooking, prepare your other ingredients. Once the farro is finished, remove from heat and add spinach, blood orange wedges, dried cranberries, pecans, rosemary and sea salt to taste. Give it a good stir. Cover for 5 minutes, just enough to wilt the spinach. Uncover and serve immediately.
Notes
- It's best to rinse Farro before cooking in a fine sieve under cold, running water.
- My One Pot Spinach & Blood Orange Farro Recipe can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- If you don't have vegetable broth, use water instead and just season a bit more in the end.
- If you can't get blood oranges where you live, regular oranges will be just fine.
- Although I couldn't find any, baby spinach is best to use.
- Feel free to add other vegetables and spices as you see fit. I wanted to keep it simple.
- This recipe is Whole Food Plant Based and doesn't call for oil. If you want to add oil to the recipe, do so during Step 2 above.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to see how it turned out! Be sure to take a photo and tag it #VeganVigilanteblog on Instagram.
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Have suggestions on how to make this Farro Recipe even better? Please leave some comment love at the end of the post to share with the rest of us!
Looking for more one pot recipes? Check these out:
Ruchi
Blood orange looks so pretty on those pictures! Combined with farro for a delicious dish, so yummy!
Vegan Vigilante
Thank you, Ruchi!
Catalina
This farro salad looks fabulous! I want this for brunch this weekend. Everyone will love it!
Vegan Vigilante
Awesome news, Catalina, hope you love it as much as we did.
Marisa Franca
The color of the dish is very pretty. Must be the blood oranges. Now, we eat LOTSS of farro. It is good for you but the main reason we eat it is because we simply like the taste. I normally don’t use the type of ingredients you used in this dish but I’m pinning because it sounds delicious.
Vegan Vigilante
Thank you Marisa, for pinning. I really appreciate it.
Cheese Curd In Paradise
I love when we start to get blood oranges in our stores. They are one of my favorites and this looks like a beautiful and healthy salad! Yum!
Vegan Vigilante
I love it to Cheese Curd in Paradise. Such a narrow window of opportunity to use them in recipes but when they are in stores, I grab a whole bag of them. Thanks for your comment.
Jyothi (Jo)
I’m a huge fan of one pan recipes. Who has a time to do the dishes, right!? Farro looks delicious!
Vegan Vigilante
Thank you Jo. I agree, one pan, no mess, eat right from the pot! hahaha.
Veena Azmanov
This looks so good. I have never tired of making farro myself. Sounds so simple and easy. Saving this for later. Looks hearty and wholesome.
Vegan Vigilante
Thanks Veena. I only recently started using it myself and love it more than rice.
Mirlene
What a beautiful dish! I cant find blood orange in my area. But I’m always searching for them. I have not try farro. This dish look very interesting. I would like to try it.
Vegan Vigilante
Mirlene, just use regular oranges, if you can’t find blood oranges. Tastes just as great. Thanks for the comment.
Karyl Henry
Blood oranges are so beautiful, but I can’t ever find them in my town. I’m loving the bold colors and flavors in this dish! I always have farro in the pantry, but struggle with how to use it. I’m going to have to give this recipe a try
Vegan Vigilante
If you make it, Karyl, just use regular oranges. Turns out just as fabulous. Thanks for the comment.
debi at Life Currents
Farro is such an underused ingredient. I love it! And your recipe looks delicious. Will be making soon.
Vegan Vigilante
I so agree, Debi. I’m going to be using it more often in my recipes.
Dan Zehr
Absolutely love this. . gorgeous! Farro is definitely my favorite grain. I had it for the first time in Italy and now am addicted! It’s so perfectly chewy and substantial
Vegan Vigilante
Thank you Dan. I’ve only recently fell in love with it.
Mahy Elamin
Oh yes, this looks fantastic. I love farro too and am trying to make it more regularly. Loving this one pan dish!
Vegan Vigilante
Thank you Mahy. I love it too.