If you believe the ancients had something on us, you’ll like farro; it’s been found in archaeological digs dating back nearly twenty thousand years and was the staple that kept the Roman legions on the move. What I like about farro is that it’s a whole grain, which makes it nutritionally superior to its distant relatives the refined white wheat set. Some people who are sensitive to wheat can tolerate farro because it is lower in gluten.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　2 cups farro

　　6 cups water

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　6 cups Magic Mineral Broth (page 54) or water

　　Sea salt

　　2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　

Step 1

Place the farro in a pan or bowl with the water and juice of 1 lemon and let soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

　　

Step 2

Drain and rinse the farro. Bring the broth and a pinch of salt to a boil in a large saucepan, add the farro, and return to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. If there’s any excess liquid, drain it off, then stir in the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

　　

rebecca’s notes

Step 3

Farro is a drainable grain, so don’t sweat the amount of liquid used to cook it. The texture of cooked farro is like barley, so when you taste for doneness know that you can always drain out extra water if it is finished cooking.

　　

Step 4

This is an excellent grain to freeze. Save any leftover farro in an airtight container in the freezer and use it as a creative addition to the next soup you make.

　　

storage

Step 5

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the

　　

Step 6

freezer for 2 months.

　　

nutrition information

Step 7

(per serving)

　　

Step 8

Calories: 275

　　

Step 9

Total Fat: 1.7g (0.3g saturated, 1.1g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 56g

　　

Step 11

Protein: 11g

　　

Step 12

Fiber: 6g

　　

Step 13

Sodium: 230mg

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.