by Rick Goldman
Have you ever stood in the grain aisle wondering what farro actually is — and whether it's worth adding to your routine? Understanding farro grain substitutes and benefits is one of the more practical things you can do for your kitchen. Farro is an ancient grain with a nutty flavor and satisfying chew, and it has been a dietary staple for thousands of years. This guide covers everything you need: what farro actually is, the best swaps when you can't find it, how to cook it well, and what it costs. For more on cooking with whole grains, visit our grains and nutrition guide.
Farro holds its shape even after long cooking times, which makes it a reliable choice for soups, stews, salads, and grain bowls. Unlike rice or pasta, it doesn't turn to mush when you reheat it — a real advantage if you meal prep. And when you can't find it at your local store, or the price gives you pause, several solid substitutes are worth knowing.
Whether you're exploring farro for the first time or looking to build it more consistently into your meals, this guide gives you the practical detail you need. You'll find a side-by-side comparison of farro and its substitutes, kitchen tool recommendations, a cost breakdown, and tips for making it part of a long-term cooking routine.
Contents
Farro is an umbrella term for three ancient wheat varieties: einkorn, emmer, and spelt. When you pick up a bag labeled "farro" at most grocery stores, you're almost certainly getting emmer — the most widely grown and sold variety. According to Wikipedia, farro has been cultivated in the Fertile Crescent for around 10,000 years, predating many of the grains you likely grew up eating. It's one of the oldest farmed crops in human history, and its staying power says something about how well it feeds people.
It's also worth knowing that each variety comes in different processing states: whole, semi-pearled, and pearled. Whole farro retains its full bran layer and packs the most fiber, but it requires a longer soak and cook time. Semi-pearled has some of the bran removed, making it quicker to cook while still delivering decent nutrition. Pearled farro cooks fastest but loses the most fiber in the process.
If you see farro labeled by its Italian name, farro piccolo refers to einkorn (the smallest kernel), farro medio is emmer (the most common), and farro grande is spelt (the largest and chewiest). For most recipes, emmer farro in semi-pearled form is the sweet spot — it cooks in about 25 to 30 minutes without soaking and delivers a toothsome texture that holds up beautifully in salads and soups alike. When a recipe simply says "farro," that's what it means.
When a recipe calls for farro and you don't have it, the right substitute depends on what role the grain is playing. In a chunky vegetable soup, barley is an excellent swap — it absorbs broth well and adds body. In a cold grain salad where you need something that holds its shape, wheat berries are a closer match to farro's firm bite. For a gluten-free option, quinoa works well, though the texture is lighter and the cook time is much shorter.
Quick tip: If a recipe doesn't specify a processing state, assume semi-pearled farro. Swapping in pearled farro or a faster-cooking substitute can reduce your cook time significantly — adjust your liquid ratio accordingly.
Understanding farro grain substitutes and benefits also means looking at the nutrition side. Farro is higher in protein and fiber than white rice and contains meaningful amounts of magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. Many of its substitutes — particularly wheat berries, spelt berries, and barley — offer a similar nutritional profile. If you enjoy comparing ingredient alternatives like this, our guide on cornmeal substitutes takes the same practical approach for another common pantry staple.
| Grain | Texture | Cook Time | Gluten-Free | Best Used In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farro (semi-pearled) | Chewy, firm | 25–30 min | No | Soups, salads, grain bowls |
| Barley (pearled) | Soft, slightly chewy | 25–35 min | No | Soups, stews, pilafs |
| Wheat berries | Very chewy, dense | 50–60 min | No | Salads, grain bowls |
| Spelt berries | Chewy, nutty | 45–60 min | No | Salads, stuffed vegetables |
| Brown rice | Soft, fluffy | 40–45 min | Yes | Most dishes as a general swap |
| Quinoa | Light, fluffy | 12–15 min | Yes | Salads, quick grain bowls |
| Freekeh | Smoky, chewy | 20–25 min | No | Pilafs, soups, stuffing |
You might associate farro with upscale restaurant dishes, but it fits just as naturally into a Tuesday night dinner. The most common home-cook use is the grain bowl: cook a batch of farro, roast whatever vegetables you have on hand, add a protein or a soft-boiled egg, and drizzle with a simple vinaigrette. It's filling, customizable, and genuinely quick once you have the farro ready to go.
Farro also shines in soups and stews. Unlike pasta or white rice, it doesn't get waterlogged or mushy after sitting overnight in the fridge, which means your soup tastes just as good — maybe better — reheated the next day. A simple combination of farro, white beans, canned tomatoes, and leafy greens makes a satisfying meal in about 35 minutes.
Pro insight: Cook a large batch of farro at the start of the week and refrigerate it. Having a cooked grain on standby cuts weeknight meal assembly down to under 15 minutes.
If you're new to cooking farro, start with a grain salad. Combine cooked farro with arugula, roasted beets, crumbled goat cheese, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. The grain holds up to the dressing without wilting and travels well if you're packing lunch. For something warmer, farro risotto — sometimes called farrotto — is forgiving for beginners and impressive enough to serve guests. Pairing farro with legumes is also one of the most budget-conscious moves you can make in the kitchen; our guide on how to eat healthy on a budget covers exactly that kind of practical, cost-aware approach.
You don't need a specialized kitchen setup to cook farro well. A medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid handles it easily on the stovetop. The basic method: rinse the farro, add it to the pot with a 2.5:1 ratio of water to grain, bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes (semi-pearled) or 15 to 20 minutes (pearled). Simple, repeatable, and easy to get right on the first try.
A fine-mesh strainer is worth having — rinsing farro before cooking removes surface starch and improves the final texture. If you cook grains regularly, a rice cooker on the "brown rice" setting works well for farro and takes the guesswork out of timing. A Dutch oven is ideal when you're cooking large batches for the week, since its heavy base distributes heat evenly and reduces the chance of scorching the bottom.
One underrated tool is a kitchen scale. Measuring farro by weight gives you more consistent results than measuring by cup, especially when you're scaling a recipe up or down. Most recipes use about 200 grams (roughly 1 cup) of dry farro as a base portion for two people. That small habit of weighing makes a real difference when you're trying to nail a recipe consistently.
Farro sits at a mid-range price point among whole grains. You'll typically pay between $3 and $5 per pound at a regular grocery store, and somewhat less if you buy in bulk at a natural foods store. Quinoa often costs more — around $4 to $7 per pound — while barley, brown rice, and wheat berries are usually cheaper, ranging from $1 to $4 per pound depending on where you shop.
The better measure is cost per serving rather than cost per pound. One cup of dry farro (about 200 grams) yields roughly 2.5 cups cooked, which comfortably serves two to three people as a side dish. That puts a typical serving at under $1.50 in most markets. When you factor in farro's protein and fiber content, you're getting comparable nutritional value to quinoa at a slightly lower price, and considerably more staying power than white rice. Buying in bulk is the most effective way to lower the cost further — many co-ops and natural food stores sell it loose by the pound, cutting the price by 30 to 40 percent compared to branded packaging.
The goal isn't to eat farro every day — it's to rotate it alongside other whole grains so your meals stay varied and nutritious. A practical approach is to cook two different grains per week: farro for dishes where you want a hearty, chewy texture, and something quicker like quinoa for nights when you need dinner fast. That rotation alone can meaningfully improve the quality of your weeknight meals without adding much complexity.
Cooked farro keeps in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. You can also freeze it in individual portions — spread the cooked grain on a baking sheet to freeze it loosely, then transfer to freezer bags. It reheats in minutes with a splash of water in a covered pan or in the microwave. This kind of grain-forward prep also reduces food waste, since you're cooking with intention rather than guessing quantities. For more on why that matters, our post on the environmental impact of food waste in the US puts the issue in a broader context worth reading.
Over time, you develop a sense of when farro is the right call and when a substitute makes more sense. That kind of flexibility — knowing your ingredients and their alternatives — is what makes confident, consistent cooking possible no matter what's on the shelf.
No. Farro is a wheat grain and contains gluten, so it is not suitable for people with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. If you need a gluten-free alternative, quinoa and brown rice are your best options — both offer a similar role in salads, bowls, and soups without any gluten content.
It depends on the processing state. Semi-pearled farro — the most common type you'll find in stores — takes about 25 to 30 minutes on the stovetop with a 2.5:1 water-to-grain ratio. Whole farro can take up to 60 minutes and benefits from an overnight soak. Pearled farro is the quickest, usually done in 15 to 20 minutes.
Pearled barley is widely considered the best substitute for farro in soups and stews. It has a similar chewy texture, absorbs broth beautifully, and cooks in roughly the same amount of time as semi-pearled farro. Wheat berries are another strong option if you want something firmer and don't mind a longer cook time.
In most nutritional respects, yes. Farro contains more protein, more fiber, and a broader range of micronutrients — including magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins — compared to white rice. It also has a lower glycemic impact, meaning it tends to keep blood sugar levels more stable after a meal. That said, both grains can fit into a healthy diet depending on your overall eating pattern.
Farro is one of those ingredients that rewards the effort of getting to know it. Pick up a bag this week, try a simple grain bowl or a quick weeknight soup, and see how it fits into your routine — and if you ever find yourself without it, you now have a full list of solid substitutes and the confidence to use them. Share your favorite farro dish in the comments, or browse our grains and nutrition section for more ideas to keep your meals interesting.
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About Rick Goldman
Rick Goldman grew up traveling the Pacific Coast and developed an early appreciation for regional and international cuisines through exposure to diverse food cultures from a young age. That culinary curiosity shaped his approach to kitchen gear — he evaluates tools based on how well they perform across different cooking styles, ingredient types, and meal occasions. At BuyKitchenStuff, he covers kitchen equipment reviews, recipe guides, and food-focused buying advice.
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