Like many cooks I know, I don’t always follow cereal bowl recipes at home. Instead, I tend to use up, mix and match what I have in the fridge and pantry, figuring out how to make the odds and ends delicious.
A perfect grain bowl has four basic componentsall of which are individually generously seasoned so they all taste great – even before they’re piled up in the bowl together! Take this ideal farro broccoli bowl with lemony tahini from Melissa Clark.
Break it up, and you have:
Base: Cooked farro
(Other options: rice, lentils, quinoa, barley, or a mix of these things)Dressing: Lemony tahini
(Other options: lemon and olive oil, blanched tomatoes, ginger-shallot sauce)Topping: Roasted broccoli, jammy yolk eggs
(Other options: crispy tofu, avocado, sauteed mushrooms, vegetarian kimchi)Garnish: Sliced radish, spring onions, hot sauce
(Other options: pickled chiles, fried garlic, furikake, za’atar)
Look at it this way, and the possibilities for a pile of cooked farro are endless. You can toss farro and chopped radicchio in a bit of vegan Caesar dressing, top with roasted chickpeas, and garnish with herbs, lemon zest, and walnuts.
Or you can make a quick miso vinaigrette, top with sautéed edamame, wilted vegetables, and raw sliced snow peas, and top it all with pickled onions and crispy chili. Reach for the things you love! Make it right if you go.
