This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. See below for more information.
There’s nothing like a hearty grain bowl filled with vegetables, grains, and beans. It hits all the points and makes for such a delicious and filling dinner. This particular bowl has some of my favorites (roasted sweet potatoes! farro!) with a bit of kick from the berbere spice.
Berbere and alternatives
Berbere is a delightful spice blend that originated in Ethiopia. The main spices are chilis, warming spices, and cumin/coriander, which results in a warm and spicy flavor. If you’re looking for something with a similar impact, but without the rice, I’d recommend trying this bowl with the ras el hanout blend.
Bob’s Red Mill Farro
Farro is one grain that tends to stay in whole-form in my cooking. The slightly warm and nutty wheat berry is perfect for salads, stews, and bakes. It keeps a slightly chewy texture but soaks up flavors of everything around it. You can also crack farro- I use this technique for whole-grain morning porridges or making a farro risotto. Cracking adds a bit of extra creaminess without any additional ingredients! Check out their store locator on where you can find the farro.
Sweet Potato Alternatives
Berbere works well with any of the hearty vegetables. Sweet Potatoes, squash, or even regular potatoes would work well in this dish.
Make it vegan
Swap out the yogurt sauce for a cashew cream mixed with garlic and mixed herbs. Whenever I do this, I try and add a splash of the lemon juice to make up for the tang that will be missing from the yogurt.
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PinIngredients
Farro
½ cup farro
1 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt
Sweet Potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 to 3 teaspoons berbere (See note)
Salt, if needed
1 can chickpeas
Yogurt
½ cup yogurt (plain- I’m using sheep)
2 cups loosely packed mixed cilantro and parsley
Zest from half a lemon
Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- To start, heat the oven to 425˚F and place farro in a pot along with 1 cup water, salt, and oil. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender; about 30 to 40 minutes.
- While the farro is cooking, make the sweet potatoes. Scrub the potatoes well and cut into rough ½” cubes. Place on a sheet tray covered with parchment and add the berbere spice, 1 tablespoon oil, and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and just starting to brown.
- Remove the sweet potatoes and stir in the chickpeas. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the chickpeas are hot.
- Next, place the cilantro and parsley and on a cutting board and top with the lemon zest. Chop until everything is fine and mixed together. Combine half the herb mixture with the yogurt and a pinch of salt.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven and toss with the remaining herb mixture and remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Assemble the bowls with a swirl of yogurt, half the farro, and half the sweet potatoes.
Notes
Notes
Berbere spice can be found as a premade blend from companies like Frontier Co-op or you can make your own blend (which is a good way to control the heat level).
Keywords: farro bowl, berbere sweet potatoes
Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It’s content like this that helps me keep this site running to provide the vegetarian recipes you see every week.
MW says
Wait, what are the three main spices? They are still listed as “x, x, and x”. 😉
valere says
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing, and I happen to have berbere (and all of the other ingredients) in my pantry! Just wondering if you meant to state that the spices in berbere are “x, x, and x”…?
Anna M says
Yum..Can you confirm the spices in Berbere blend? It’s described as consisting of x, x and x” thank you!
Betty says
So what exactly is in berbere? x, x and x?
Ana says
I made 4 servings to have leftovers, but I used the oil amount for 2 servings and it was delicious. I also squeezed lemon juice on top from the lemon I zested when serving.
★★★★★
Lisa Tumbarello says
It looks fantastic but seems like a lot of carbohydrates and I am trying to lose weight. How can I lighten up on the calories and carb content? I don’t see the nutritional values so I am making assumptions on the calories. Any suggestions would be appreciated because I really want to try this!