Farro with Tomato, Chickpeas, Kale and Feta

This farro and chickpea dish—somewhere between a hearty stew and a warm grain salad—is one of those recipes you’ll find yourself making a double-batch of every time you cook it. After enjoying it for dinner, perhaps alongside a roasted salmon filet, pack some up for lunch with lightly dressed arugula, or even heat up a bowl and top it with an olive-oil fried egg for breakfast. If you don’t have chickpeas in the pantry, this works just as well with cannellini beans, butter beans or pinto beans.

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups farro

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons salt

3 cups chopped kale

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Fresh basil leaves, chopped, to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in Paella Pan over medium heat. Add onion and tomatoes and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add water, farro, garlic and salt and stir gently to combine. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. If necessary, add water to ensure farro mixture doesn’t dry out and stick to pan. Stir in kale and chickpeas. Simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes, adding a bit more water as needed.

Stir in remaining olive oil and red pepper flakes. Farro should be soft but chewy with a slight amount of broth in the pan. Top with feta cheese and basil. Serve immediately.