I want to introduce you to something that may not sound completely sexy, but trust me when I say it’s a true gift. It’s Apple Cider Farro Bowls.

Farro is a grain that I’ve never really fallen for before this recipe. It was always sort of there, but I never really loved it. But, when you simmer it slowly with some apple cider and a few bay leaves, it completely transforms into this new sort of sweet/savory grain.

To be honest, the farro alone in this recipe is worth a shot and you could use it for any number of meals. Toss it in salads, serve it alongside fish. It’s very flexible. I used mine for this whole meal of food that I call a apple cider farro bowl. I added some mini chicken meatballs for a little protein boost!

Making Apple Cider Farro Bowls

This is farro! Some people love it. Some people are meh about it. I tend to be in the meh camp, but now I’m getting swayed to the love camp!

Raw Farro Grain
The good stuff.

Rinse the farro in cold water and then simmer it in the mixture of water and apple cider over low heat, covered, until it’s tender. It’ll take around 25 minutes, but check it occasionally. Drain off any extra liquid and it’s ready to go! Delicious stuff.

Farro cooked for bowls
YUM.

Making Chicken Meatballs

There’s a lot of optional parts of this recipe, one being these little chicken meatballs. I think they add some protein and heft to the recipe, but you could just as easily leave them out or substitute something like tempeh if you wanted to make this recipe vegan.

Shaping the chicken meatballs
Making meatballs.

The meatballs are pretty basic. I just baked mine until they are browned and cooked through (350 degrees F. for maybe 20 minutes, turning once).

Chicken Meatballs baked.
BOOM.

Finishing the Farro Bowls

The only other part of the recipe is the dressing which is just a mix of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

Boom.

Dressing for Apple Cider Farro Bowls
The sauce.

Here are all the other fixings I used for my bowls. Lots of good crunchy veggies!

Crunchy veggies for bowls.
Fixins.
 

To make a farro bowl, toss some arugula and farro together and drizzle in some dressing to coat. Then top with meatballs and all those veggies. Drizzle on more dressing to your tastes.

It’s a great winter meal. Warming, yet healthy. It would also be a really delicious lunch to pack!

Farro bowls with chicken meatballs are delicious, but mainly just because apple cider farro is delicious. Try it out!

Apple Cider Farro Bowls with Chicken Meatballs

Apple Cider Farro Bowls with Chicken Meatballs

5 from 4 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Slow simmered apple cider farro makes for a perfect base for a winter bowl. I like to top mine with mini chicken meatballs and fresh veggies!

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup farro
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups Fresh arugula
  • 1 cup Grape tomatoes
  • 4 Fresh radishes
  • 1 medium Fresh cucumbers

Quick Chicken Meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Dressing:

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Dash of hot sauce

Instructions

  • For farro, bring water and apple cider to a slow simmer. Rinse farro and add to pot along with bay leaves. Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes until farro is very tender. Drain any extra water and remove from heat.
  • For chicken meatballs, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic. Form tablespoon-sized meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake meatballs for about 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.
  • For dressing, whisk together ingredients. Duh.
  • Make a bowl by adding some farro to a bowl with a little arugula. Toss together with a drizzle of dressing. Then top with meatballs and crunchy sliced veggies. Drizzle on more dressing to taste and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

Farro recipe inspired by Charlie Bird’s recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 781mg | Potassium: 1063mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 661IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American

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Here are a few other Great Chicken Dinner Recipes!