Farro with Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Kale
Farro bowls filled with so many of my favorite things— shredded chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and kale, flaked coconut, and slivered almonds.
If you haven’t jumped on the farro train yet, you better fix that quick. It’s my favorite grain! It’s got a chewy texture and nutty flavor that I just love. And I owe it all to this dish. My good friend Becky of The Vintage Mixer first introduced me to her kale and coconut chicken salad many years ago and it’s been on regular rotation at my house ever since.
Over time I’ve made little changes here and there, like adding nuts and other roasted vegetables. But I’ve made sure to keep the parts I loved the most, like sesame oil and soy sauce in the dressing (so much flavor!), and unsweetened coconut. And of course, the farro. This meal is hearty, healthy, and completely delicious!
This farro bowl is perfect year-round, and it’s just as good at room temperature as it is warm. I even love to eat leftovers straight out of the fridge. Make it for a light dinner for the whole family, or portion it out for lunches for you all week long.
And in case you want to play around with mix-ins, here are a few ideas:
Variations
Protein— Try this dish with steak or turkey, or make it meatless and top servings with a fried egg.
Veggies— You can roast peppers, red onion, mushrooms, squash, asparagus, or all of the above. I can’t think of a single vegetable that wouldn’t work here.
Nuts— I always mix up the nuts based on what I have on hand. Hazelnuts, pecans, and pine nuts are all great options.
Grain— While farro will always be my preferred choice here, you could also use brown rice, quinoa, bulger, etc.
Shop for the recipe
(Affiliate links below)
Farro with Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Kale
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked farro (215 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 medium sweet potato , peeled and diced
- 1 medium bunch kale , torn and ribs removed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (42 grams)
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds (28 grams)
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (280 grams)
Instructions
- In a medium pot of salted boiling water, add farro. Cook for 15 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine the olive oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce to make a dressing.
- Toss the sweet potatoes with just enough dressing to coat. Spread onto a sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes.
- Toss the kale, flaked coconut, and slivered almonds with a little more dressing. Add to the sheet pan with the sweet potatoes and roast another 10 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender, kale is wilted, and coconut and nuts are toasted.
- In a large bowl toss the roasted veggies, farro, chicken, and remaining dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- See post above for possible variations to this dish.
- If you don't have sesame oil, you can replace it with more olive oil.
I’ve never tried cooking with farro before, but this seems like the perfect recipe to try for it!
Hi! I recently discovered farro and really like the nutty flavor. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for the healthy idea.
This was absolutely delicious! I added shredded turkey, mushrooms, celery, and green pepper. Had to use wheat berry instead of farro because I couldn’t find any at the store. Will definitely make this again! Husband approved, as evident by him licking his bowl.
Making riffs on this forever. The 13 year old gobbles it, and the 18 month old cheers when I pull out the ingredients.
My family loves this recipe! I’ve made it twice now, and add whatever leftover vegetables I have in the fridge. But that original combo of kale, sweet potato and crunchy almonds is so good with the dressing!