This winter farro bowl is full of spinach, sweet potatoes, labneh, herbs, a poached egg, and a drizzle of chili oil. It makes a great healthy breakfast for winter or whenever you feel like eating something lighter.
Winter Farro Bowl
With winter in full swing, it can be hard to find something both healthy and comforting. In comes this winter farro bowl inspired by mediterranean and middle eastern cuisines. It’s light, flavorful, and the sweet potatoes and farro add a nice cozy element.
We took the fluffy ancient grain farro and combined it with one of the best savory spreads – labneh. And since it’s winter, you can’t go wrong with roasted sweet potatoes and cooked spinach. All of which is topped with a poached egg, dried herbs, and a drizzle of chili oil. Yum!
When we eat this, we typically have it for breakfast or brunch since we top it with a poached egg. But you can have it any time you like with any of the possible variations listed below. Most of these ingredients can be made at least 1 day in advance. Things like the sweet potatoes, farro, and labneh can be prepped the night before so all you have to do is cook the spinach and egg. A slice of sourdough toast or pita bread go best with this winter farro bowl. And as a finishing touch, add a few micro greens or fresh arugula. It’s definitely a tasty and healthy way to start your winter mornings (or lunch)!
Ingredients
- Farro: This ancient grain is tender, chewy, and has a slight nutty flavor. If you’ve never had it before it’s like a fatter, chewier version of brown rice.
- Salt: Just a few pinches of salt is all you need to cook your farro in. This adds a bit of flavor so your grains aren’t completely bland.
- Sweet Potatoes: These are perfect for eating in the winter! A quick roast in the oven is all you need to cook these sweet spuds.
- Olive Oil: You’ll need 1 ½ tbsp to coat your sweet potatoes before roasting.
- Spinach: Cook the spinach in a pan for a few minutes to let it wilt and you’re good to go.
- Labneh: Click here to get the recipe for our homemade labneh! This ingredient makes a huge difference to your farro bowl, so be sure to keep it in if you can.
- Eggs: Poached eggs are so satisfying to cut open, and the runny yolk adds a nice “sauce” to this dish.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This helps the eggs to coagulate quicker to form a solid white.
- Herbs: We use dried herbs, but feel free to add fresh ones of your choosing. We suggest something mediterranean to pair well with the farro and labneh.
- Chili Oil: If you like a little bit of spice, we highly suggest drizzling some chili oil on top. Otherwise, you can add any of the alternatives we have listed down below.
FAQ
Labneh is basically just strained Greek yogurt with a bit of salt. It’s super thick and creamy and makes this grain bowl extra tasty. It takes about a day to make it, but most of that time is just leaving it in the bowl to strain out the liquid. It only takes two ingredients and we have a recipe so you can make your own at home!
Yes, as mentioned before, you can cook the sweet potatoes and farro the night before. The labneh can also be made several days or weeks in advance depending on how fresh your Greek yogurt is.
Sure, just replace the farro with lentils, quinoa, or brown rice.
If you make the farro ahead of time, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
They can last 3-5 days in the fridge when placed in an airtight container.
How to Customize Your Winter Farro Bowl
- Use other leafy greens: chopped kale or a mix of other greens like arugula would work
- Add more vegetables: you can use beets, winter squash, carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower
- Add a different protein: chicken, tofu, or even lamb can be used to substitute the egg or use as an add-on
- Use any herbs you like: we use these pizza herbs (sounds weird, but it’s really good), but you can use herb blends like za’atar or greek seasoning
- Top it with a different dressing: spicy harissa dressing goes really well with this bowl. You can also use tahini, hummus, or roasted eggplant spread
- Other possible toppings: if you want a more robust bowl, you can add things like roasted chickpeas, roasted corn, kalamata olives, and tomato and cucumber salad
A Few Tips
- Don’t skip the labneh! This is one of the highlights of this farro bowl, and definitely shouldn’t be omitted. It only takes two ingredients to make or you might even get lucky and find some at your local grocery store. Plus, you can make it several days or even weeks in advance.
- Make the farro and sweet potatoes ahead of time to cut back on cook time. Just be sure to heat them up before adding to your bowl.
- Serve it with a slice of sourdough toast to soak up all the labneh and runny egg yolk!
📖 Recipe
Winter Farro Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- ½ cup (100 g) uncooked farro
- 2 cups (500 ml) water
- Salt to taste
- 3 cups (90 g) spinach
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 8 tbsp labneh
- Chili oil to serve
- Herbs to serve
Instructions
Roast the Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet with 1 ½ tbsp olive oil. Toss until evenly coated.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork. Meanwhile, cook the farro.
Cook the Farro:
- Before cooking your farro, give it a good rinse to remove the powdery coating.
- In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, add a few pinches of salt to the water then add the rinsed farro. Stir and bring back to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 30 minutes uncovered.*
Sauté the Spinach:
- Add washed spinach to a nonstick pan placed over medium heat.
- Sauté until wilted (about 3 minutes). You can cook it with oil, onion, and spices, but I prefer a plain sauté for this bowl. You’ll get plenty of flavor from the labneh and seasonings placed on top.
Poach the Eggs*:
- Fill a small or medium sized pot with at least 4 inches of water. Place over high heat and pour the apple cider vinegar into the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low.
- Place a small fine mesh strainer over a small ramekin. Crack the egg into the strainer and allow it to strain out the thinner white liquid for about 15 seconds.
- With a wooden spoon, make a swirl of water in the pot and gently but quickly add the egg to the swirl.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered with paper towels. This helps to remove any excess water.
For Assembly:
- For each serving, put 2 tbsp labneh into a wide bowl, spreading it out with a spoon. Top with seasonings of your choice.
- Add the sweet potatoes to the side along with the spinach and ¼ cup of farro.
- Gently pick up the egg and place in the middle on top of the labneh. Be careful not to break it.
- Pour chili oil on top of the egg and labneh. Tuck in a piece of buttered sourdough toast and enjoy!
Notes
- Tip for Cooking Farro: If your farro is still too wet after cooking, you can add it to a half sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Place it in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) and bake for a few minutes until dry.
- Poaching the Eggs: Cook one egg at a time. No need to add extra apple cider vinegar to the pot. Once you’re done with one, cook the others starting from step 3.
- If you’re in a pinch, cook your sweet potatoes and farro the night before. When ready to serve, heat them in the microwave until warm.
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