Farro and Lentils with Sautéed Kale and Trumpet Mushrooms

I’m going to let you all in on a little secret.  Some of you seasoned cooks might already know this, but it was very exciting for me when I found out.  Farro, that deliciously nutty Italian grain, has roughly the same cooking time as beautifully blue and gray speckled French lentils.  As a result, this delightful grain and legume combination can be cooked together in the same pot!  Best of all they are done cooking in just 15-20 minutes!

Since figuring this out, I have cooked up this dynamic duo several times and have used it as the base for many different salads and warm dishes.   For example, I made one dish with roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, sautéed greens, toasted walnuts and shaved pecorino.  My most recent farro and lentil dish is described below and was made with items fresh from our CSA box—trumpet mushrooms, lacinato kale, and onions.

So for an easy entrée or side, cook up a pot of lentils and farro and mix in whatever combination of seasonal vegetables, nuts, cheeses, dried fruit, herbs and vinaigrette you may have on hand.  The number of different combinations is endless!

Farro and Lentils with Sautéed Kale and Trumpet Mushrooms

• ½ cup farro
• ½ cup French lentils, rinsed
• Olive oil
• 1 bunch lacinato kale
• 1 medium container of trumpet mushrooms
• 1-2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Place farro and lentils into a medium-sized pot.  Fill pot with water and stir in a good pinch of salt.  Cook the farro and lentils for about 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and the farro still has a little bit of chew to it.  Drain remaining water from the pot.

While the farro and lentils cook, strip the leaves of the kale from the stems and discard stems.  Chop kale leaves into bite-sized pieces.  Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large pan.  Add the kale leaves.  Cook kale leaves over low heat until slightly wilted, stirring occasionally.  Remove kale from the pan and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan used to cook the kale.  Add in the mushrooms and cook until they are heated through, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, mix together the farro, lentils, kale, and mushrooms.  Stir in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, if needed.  Top with some crispy fried onions before serving.

Crispy Fried Onions

• One yellow onion
• 1-2 cups flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Vegetable oil

Slice the onion into thin crescents.  Mix together the flour salt and paprika into a small bowl.   Toss the onions in the flour mixture until lightly coated.  Shake off excess flour.

Pour oil into a large pot to a depth of about 2 inches.  Heat oil.  Fry small batches of the onions in the oil until they are golden.  Remove from oil and drain on a plate covered with 2-3 paper towels.

Tasty Easy Healthy Green Recipe Ratings: