Get cozy with this vegan baked farro recipe. This flavorful casserole is loaded with tomatoes, oregano, and basil.
It is a filling & comforting dish that is truly satisfying.

Ready for a steaming casserole to warm you up from the inside out? This warm farro casserole is just the answer.
This farro recipe is a delicious alternative to a pasta bake. It shines with the flavors of diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, and nutritional yeast.
With hearty farro playing the starring role, you get the benefits of fiber and protein with every bite.
Plus, since it’s baked in the oven, there’s no need to babysit it while it cooks.
In this post:
What is farro?
If you like barley or wheat berries, you’ll love farro.
Farro doesn’t have the mainstream popularity it deserves. But for people like me who prefer a chewy whole grain, it is worthy of higher billing.
It is a plump ancient grain with a wonderfully chewy texture.
(It is wheat, so it’s not suitable for gluten-free folks.)
Veganomicon: 10th anniversary edition
This recipe comes from the 10th anniversary edition of Veganomicon.
Written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, the original version was one of the first vegan cookbooks in my collection.
(When I wasn’t cooking out of it, this 3-pound book served double duty as my first tofu press.)
With over 250 recipes in total, there’s everything from basics to lengthy cooking projects.
Some of my favorites include chickpea cutlets, samosa stuffed baked potatoes, salt and pepper tofu, hot sauce glazed tempeh, and today’s baked farro recipe, of course.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Oil: Oil is used to sauté shallots & garlic + to oil the baking dish. Olive oil is recommended, but it can be replaced with any neutral-flavored cooking oil you enjoy.
Farro: For this recipe, you’ll need uncooked farro. Look for it with other whole grains in the grocery store, like rice or barley.
Depending on how it has been processed, farro cooking times vary a little. Pearled farro has the shortest cooking time. Whole farro has the longest.
Semi-pearled farro strikes the middle ground with part of the bran removed and a shorter cooking time than the whole variety.
You can use any kind for this recipe. But if you’re using pearled or semi-pearled, you may be able to cut the cooking time by 10 or 15 minutes. Pull it out of the oven to check doneness.
Farro is pretty forgiving. And it doesn’t get overdone easily.
Produce & pantry staples: Garlic, shallots, parsley, and walnuts.
Seasonings: Bay leaf, dried oregano, dried thyme, and salt.
Vegetable broth: It can be replaced with water. Or use water + vegan bouillon.
Can of diced tomatoes: Don’t drain. You’ll need the juices too.
Nutritional yeast: This inactive yeast adds cheesiness, richness, and umami. Look for it at natural grocery stores, Trader Joe’s, or online.
For more information, check out this called, “What is nutritional yeast?”
Lemon zest: When using a lemon for zest, I recommend opting for organic lemons. A Microplane zester is my go-to tool for zesting.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Sauté shallots and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add a bay leaf as well as farro that has been sorted & rinsed.
3. Pour in vegetable broth and canned tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a rapid simmer. Turn off the heat & add oregano, thyme, and salt.
4. Remove the bay leaf. Then stir in parsley or basil & nutritional yeast.
Pour farro mixture into oiled baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Using a mortar & pestle or food processor, pulse or pound the following into crumbs:
- Walnuts
- Nutritional yeast flakes
- Salt
- Lemon zest
Top the farro with the walnut topping & drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Bake uncovered for ten more minutes to brown.
Serving ideas
This toothsome grain dish is great with roasted vegetables, sliced tomatoes, and/or a simple salad.
Here are some more side dish ideas for cooked farro:
Storage instructions
Keep any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. The flavors will continue to meld over time making leftovers even more delicious.
It will last four or five days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.
Put any cold leftovers in a freezer-proof container. When you’re ready to use it, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.
FAQ
Yes! If you’d like to save a step, you can use a Dutch oven or other casserole-style pot that is safe on both the stovetop & oven.
Just start the farro mixture on the stovetop. Then move it to the preheated oven when ready. Cover with a lid (or use foil). So easy!
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Baked farro with tomatoes and herbs (vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups uncooked farro
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup finely chopped shallot
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices (do not drain)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or basil
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
For the topping:
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
- Sort through the farro to remove any broken grains and rinse in a colander.
- In a large saucepan over medium, saute the garlic and shallot in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes to soften the shallot.
- Stir in the farro and the bay leaf and saute for another minute, then pour in the vegetable broth and the tomatoes. Increase the heat to high and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add oregano, thyme, and salt. Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with a little more salt, if desired (if using water, you may want to), then stir in the parsley and nutritional yeast.
- Pour the farro mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the farro has absorbed almost all of the liquid.
- Pulse together the topping ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor (or pound with a mortar and pestle) into coarse crumbs.
- Take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil, and cover the top evenly with the walnut topping. Drizzle those 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and bake for 10 minutes to lightly brown the top of the casserole.
- For best results, allow the farro to sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly and firm up a bit. Serve warm; this casserole tastes even better the next day after the flavors have blended a bit more.
Shell
Your post brought back many great memories as I thought back to ten years ago. We were basically newlyweds! The chickpea cutlets look delightful. I haven’t had the pleasure of eating chickpeas in that form yet!
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! Yes, a lot has happened in ten years!
Catherine Brodeur
I love Isa! I haven’t made this yet so I’m excited because it really is the perfect cool October dinner…a fav from that book so far is the Vietnamese Seitan sandwich w spicy broth dip which I’ve made a million times…looking forward to this one & I love following your blog!
Cadry
I will have to try that sandwich. It sounds right up my alley. And thank you for the kind words, Catherine!
Bianca Phillips
Omg, I can’t believe it’s been 10 years! That book was so special to me in my early vegan days. And yes, those chickpea cutlets were my fave too! I MUST get this new edition for the photos and new pics. And it would be nice to have one recipe per page!