Recipe: Farro & Red Beans with Caramelized Onions

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September 12, 2024

5/5 - (1 vote)

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Recipe Description

So I’ve been a bit MIA from PGEW lately, largely due to the fact that I’ve been sick as a dog with this raging flu. I was starting to get sick long before the big performance at the Cathedral a couple of weekends ago but was fortunate to fight it off until the day after. Poor Girl wasn’t eating much of anything until recently, and this being an extremely lean bare-bones week, I really had to get creative w/the few things I had left in my cupboard. I’m glad I did though because I had been meaning to try something like this for a while and was pretty pleased with the results.

I borrowed the idea from some traditional Italian farro recipes I’ve been scoping out. Not having a lot of the ingredients called for some of these farro soups, and wanting to add a bit of smokiness to the dish, I veered away from the Italian, tomato-based ideas with success. Cumin and a tiny bit of chili powder added the depth I was looking for and went very well with the nuttiness of the farro and the sweetness of the caramelized onions. Flavors aside, this is also a great protein and fiber-packed dish that makes a hearty one-dish meal.

PS – Please pardon the lack of photos for now. It seems that I’ve lost the charger for my camera somewhere in Evil Closet, and it’s just not coming out right on the old camera phone! I’d rather wait till I can get a decent shot and I will get one since I will be making this again. 🙂 Picture is posted! Still not perfect, but at least now you can see what this looks like… 🙂

Details Recipe Information

Calories: 302.8
Fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 14.3mg
Sodium: 419.1mg
Potassium: 463.7mg
Carbohydrates: 33.7g
Protein: 11.1g

Ingredients

4 oz. Umbrian farro (or spelt)
1 can of red kidney beans, drained (not rinsed)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
Couple splashes of olive oil
1 tbsp garlic
1 heaping tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Couple sprigs of cilantro for garnish (optional)

Method

Step 1

Cook the farro per package instructions; or if you’ve bought in bulk, simply add the raw farro to a large pot of boiling, salted water for about 15 minutes. Drain the farro and set aside.

Step 2

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and a couple of pinches of salt and cook slowly until the onions become translucent and browned (about 15 minutes), making sure to stir frequently so that they don’t stick to the pan. Add the garlic, drained kidney beans along with the cumin and chili powder and stir to combine all the flavors. Reduce the heat to medium. At this point, your mixture will become a bit soupy or stew-like, which is the goal. Add the cooked farro to the beans & onions and mix together. Heat for about 3 more minutes, or until the farro has absorbed most of the liquid. Serve with a couple of sprigs chopped cilantro, and some shredded cheese if desired (I had some pepper jack lying around and it actually went quite well). Enjoy!

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