This recipe for stuffed peppers without rice features farro, mushrooms and spinach. Farro is a beautiful grain, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you should make it happen. Soon! Grab some next time you are at the store.

The farro is toasted, simmered with onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme, then mixed with garlicky mushrooms, spinach and parmesan. Fill the peppers, bake and enjoy them by themselves or with a salad.

The Best Farro Stuffed Peppers (Hearty, Healthy and Make Ahead)

Farro is very hearty, it hits nutty tones and has a chewy texture. It’s quite addictive. The first time I cooked it was a recipe by Michele Scicolone, Farro with Brussels Sprouts, Sage and Garlic. I was sold! After that, I’ve made dozens of other dishes with this grain.

There are many ways you can cook farro. You will find dozens of farro recipes online, since it has become more popular among home cooks. You can eat it as risotto, in a salad (warm or cold), in soups and even desserts. Laura B. Weiss from the Kitchen Window recommends layering cooked farro with roasted fruit and yogurt. Swoon! Such a classy dessert! No matter how you enjoy your farro, it will soon become a staple ingredient in your pantry, if it isn’t already.

And if you want to know, farro is a high fiber grain, rich in iron, protein and B vitamins, among other nutrients. Here I share just one of the ways you can cook it, by making stuffed peppers. I like to make this ahead, leave it in the fridge and bake it at night, after a busy day. Everyone is ensured a hearty and satisfying meal that is healthy and so good for you. Learn how to cook this grain that is rich in nutrients and full of flavor, and step your cooking game up!

Why You’ll Love These Farro Stuffed Peppers

No rice needed. Toasted farro gives the filling a nutty flavor and a chewy bite that holds up in the oven.
Loaded with vegetables. Mushrooms, spinach and garlic go right into the grain, and the pepper becomes the bowl.
Make ahead friendly. Stuff them earlier in the day, keep them in the fridge and bake them at night.
Simple but impressive. The steps are easy, and the golden parmesan tops look great on the table.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

Farro: Use semi-pearled or pearled. There are three kinds of farro: whole, semi-pearled and pearled. In most grocery stores in the United States you will find the pearled kind, which cooks faster and needs no soaking. If the package doesn’t say which kind it is, it’s probably pearled. Whole farro works too, but plan on a longer cooking time.
Onion, bay leaf, thyme sprig and a whole garlic clove: These simmer in the cooking water and season the farro from the inside out. Fish them out once the farro is drained.
Minced garlic: Three cloves go into the pan with the mushrooms. Cook them for just a few seconds, because garlic turns bitter quickly once it browns.
Portabella mushrooms: Sliced mushrooms bring a meaty, savory depth, so the peppers feel like a full meal. Cremini or white button mushrooms are an easy swap.
Spinach: Baby spinach is the easiest choice since there are no tough stems to pull off. It wilts down to almost nothing, so don’t worry if the pile looks big.
Parmesan cheese: Half a cup is mixed into the filling and a little more goes on top, where it melts and turns golden. Grating your own from a block gives the best melt.
Bell peppers: Six small to medium peppers. Choose peppers that have a somewhat flatter bottom so they stand up better. Red, yellow and orange peppers are sweeter, while green peppers taste a little more grassy.
Olive oil, salt and pepper: A light brush of oil inside and out helps the peppers soften and brown, and a pinch of salt and pepper seasons the pepper itself, not just the filling.
Chives: Chopped chives sprinkled on at the end add a fresh, mild onion flavor and a pop of green.

How to Make Farro Stuffed Peppers

Start the cooking water. In a large pan, add 3 cups of water, the bay leaf, thyme sprig, garlic clove and onion, and bring it to a boil.
Toast the farro. While the water heats, warm a cast iron pan or frying pan over medium heat. Toast the farro for about 7 minutes, shaking the pan to turn the grains, until it smells nutty and fragrant.
Cook the farro. Add the toasted farro to the boiling water and aromatics and boil for 20 minutes or so. Cooking time varies a lot with the type of farro, so taste often. You want it al dente, tender but still chewy, since it finishes cooking in the oven. Drain it.
Prep the peppers. Cut off the tops and carefully remove the stems and seeds. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and brush a little olive oil all over, inside and out.
Cook the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4 minutes, then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Salt to taste.
Fill the peppers. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the farro with the vegetables and half a cup of parmesan. Set the peppers in a muffin tin, spoon in the filling and top with a little more parmesan.
Bake. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 5 more minutes, until the cheese is golden. Sprinkle with chives and serve with a salad.

Tip: Bake the peppers in a muffin tin. The cups hold them upright, so they stand without any chance of falling over and losing their filling.

Ways to Customize Farro Stuffed Peppers

Add bacon. Fried and crumbled bacon stirred into the filling adds smoky, salty crunch.
Add feta. Feta cheese crumbles bring a tangy, briny bite next to the parmesan.
Swap the vegetables or add meat. Use anything else your little heart desires. The possibilities are endless.
Make it a bigger meal. Serve the peppers alongside a salad or a protein such as baked fish or steak.

Farro Stuffed Peppers FAQs

What kind of farro should I buy? Pearled or semi-pearled farro is best here because it cooks faster. It is also the kind most grocery stores in the United States carry.
Do I need to soak the farro? Not pearled farro. It goes straight from the toasting pan into the boiling water.
How do I know when the farro is done? Taste it. It should be al dente, tender with a little chew left in the center, because it keeps cooking inside the peppers in the oven.
Is farro gluten free? No. Farro is an ancient type of wheat, so it contains gluten. Skip this recipe or swap the grain if you need to avoid gluten.
Can I make these ahead? Yes. Stuff the peppers, cover them and keep them in the fridge, then bake them at night. Keep them chilled until they go into the oven.
How do I store leftovers? Refrigerate cooked peppers in a covered container within 2 hours of baking and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until hot all the way through, to 165°F.
Why won’t my peppers stand up? Choose peppers with flatter bottoms and bake them in a muffin tin, which keeps every pepper upright.

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Easy Healthy Farro Recipe (Stuffed Bell Peppers)

This easy, healthy farro recipe fills bell peppers with toasted farro, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, garlic and parmesan, then bakes them until golden. It is simple, hearty and great with a salad, baked fish or steak.

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Ingredients

1 cup Farro semi-pearled or pearled
1 garlic clove whole
1 onion halved
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
3 garlic cloves minced
2 oz or spinach stem off (I like to use baby spinach)
16 oz portabella mushrooms sliced
½ cup parmesan cheese
6 small to medium bell-peppers
3 tablespoons of chopped chives

Instructions

In a large pan add 3 cups of water, the bay leaf, the thyme sprig, the garlic clove, and the onion. Bring it to a boil. While the water comes to a boil, heat a cast iron pan or frying pan over medium heat. Add the farro
to the pan and toast for about 7 minutes, until fragrant, shaking the pan around to turn the grains. Add farro to the pan of boiling water and aromatics. Let it boil for 20 minutes or so. Cooking time will vary a lot depending on what type of farro you use. Pearled and semi-pearled farro will cook faster. It’s best to taste for doneness constantly. You want the farro to be al dente, since it’s going to finish cooking in the oven in the pepper.
Cut the tops of the peppers and carefully remove the stems and seeds from the inside. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and brush a little bit of olive oil all over the peppers, inside and out. Set aside
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for a few seconds, stirring. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Mix the farro with the vegetables and half a cup of parmesan cheese. Place peppers in a muffin tin, so they will be standing without the possibility of falling. Stuff the peppers with the spoonfulls of the farro mixture. Cover with a little more parmesan cheese. Cover the tray with aluminum foil. Bake on pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, remove foil and bake 5 more minutes until golden. Sprinkle some chopped chives over peppers and serve with a salad.

Notes

Choose peppers that have somewhat of a flatter bottom so they will be able to stand a little better.

For other options, you could add to the filling, fried and crumbled bacon, feta cheese crumbles, or anything else your little heart desires, vegetables, meats, possibilities are endless.

Made these farro stuffed peppers? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell us how they turned out in the comments below. Your feedback helps other home cooks, and we love hearing about your filling ideas.

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This recipe was shared by Camila.