Harissa Lentil and Farro Bowl

Harissa Lentil and Farro Bowl, a tasty grain bowl that combines lentils and farro with caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, and spicy harissa sauce. Our go-to weeknight dinner that’s great for leftover!

a black bowl with lentils, farro, and red harissa on a white table

Love lentils? Love farro? Combine them in a bowl! This super simple lentil and farro grain bowl recipe has caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes (and their flavorful oil!), arugula, and a dollop of harissa sauce for a kick of spice. Easy and filling this plant-based bowl!

👉 Ready to learn how to make a spicy harissa lentil farro bowl? Let’s do it!


🍲 Ingredients

  • Lentils: The base of this bowl, lentils are a great plant-base protein and packs loads of fiber. We like green lentils, but any type of lentils will do well in this recipe.
  • Farro: A whole grain from wheat, farro has a spongey mouthfeel and is a great texture addition to compliment the lentils.
  • Onion: Any onion will do, but we like both red onions and yellow onions because they have a sweeter taste when cooked.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes (and oil): About 1 cup (or 1 small jar) of sun-dried tomatoes, and make sure to also use their flavored oil (it contributes a lot of flavor to this dish).
  • Arugula: A handful of fresh arugula for a hit of green, but spinach or other light leafy greens also work.
  • Harissa: A spicy sauce made from red pepper, harissa adds a kick of heat and flavor (we love Mina brand harissa).
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper: A little oil to cook, and salt and pepper to flavor.
  • Recommended tools: small and large pots, a large Dutch oven, knife
bowls of lentils, farro, arugula, onion, harissa, oil, salt, and pepper on a white table
Ingredients: lentils, farro, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, oil, salt, pepper

🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)

1️⃣ Step One: Cook lentils and farro

The first step to make this bowl is to cook the lentils and the farro. The great news is that you can cook them both at the same time, here’s how:

  1. How to cook farro on the stovetop: For the farro add 1 cup of farro and 2 cups of water to a medium pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid and cook until farro is soft and water has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
  2. How to cook lentils on the stovetop: At the same time you start the farro, cook the lentils. To do this, add 1.5 cups of lentils to a pot with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are soft and water is evaporated, about 20 minutes.
two pots with cooked lentils and cooked farro on a white table
Cook lentils and farro

2️⃣ Step Two: Cook onions and sun-dried tomatoes

While the lentils and farro are cooking, it’s time to cook the onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

To do this, bring a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add olive oil. When oil is heated, add onion slices and cook low and slow until onions are caramelized, soft, and browned.

Then reduce heat to a very low simmer and add 1 cup (or entire jar) of sun-dried tomatoes and their oil.

a pot with caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes on a white table
Cook onions and sun-dried tomatoes

3️⃣ Step Three: Combine bowl ingredients and serve

When the lentils and farro are done, add them to the pot with the onions and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the fresh arugula, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

a large pot with lentils, farro, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula with a wooden spoon
Combine with arugula, lentils, and farro

To serve, simply add the farro and lentil mixture to a bowl and add a dollop of harissa sauce on top. Then enjoy!

a bowl of lentils and farro with arugula and red harissa sauce on a white table

🧊 How to store

This lentil bowl recipe is a GREAT meal prep recipe because it’s easy to store and serve all week. Here’s how:

  1. Refrigerator storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
  2. Freezer storage: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months. To thaw remove container to the refrigerator until thawed and then reheat.
  3. How to reheat: To reheat on the stovetop, add a small amount of oil to a pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until fully heated. To reheat in the microwave, add to a microwave safe dish and reheat on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring once to heat evenly.
a black bowl with lentils, farro, and red harissa with a gold fork

👉 More easy grain bowl recipes

Want more easy bowl recipes made with grains? We’ve got you covered:

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Get my 4-Day Plant-Based Meal Plan to start your journey on the plant path.

a bowl of lentils and farro with arugula and red harissa sauce on a white table

Harissa Lentil and Farro Bowl

Kristina Todini, RDN
Harissa Lentil and Farro Bowl, a tasty grain bowl that combines lentils and farro with caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, and spicy harissa sauce. Our go-to weeknight dinner that’s great for leftover!
5 stars (3 ratings)
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 540 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup farro
  • 1.5 cups lentils
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 1 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon harissa sauce per serving

Instructions
 

  • Cook lentils and farro: First cook lentil and farro on the stovetop. For the farro add 1 cup of farro and 2 cups of water to a medium pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid and cook until farro is soft and water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. At the same time you start the farro, cook the lentils. To do this, add 1.5 cups of lentils to a pot with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are soft and water is evaporated, about 20 minutes.
  • Cook vegetables: Next cook the onions and sun-dried tomatoes. To do this, bring a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add olive oil. When oil is heated, add onion slices and cook low and slow until onions are caramelized, soft, and browned. Then reduce heat to a very low simmer and add 1 cup (or entire jar) of sun-dried tomatoes and their oil.
  • Combine ingredients and serve: When the lentils and farro are done, add them to the pot with the onions and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the fresh arugula, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. To serve, simply add the farro and lentil mixture to a bowl and add a dollop of harissa sauce on top.

Notes

  • Prep ahead: To prep this recipe ahead, make the lentils and farro up to 2-3 days ahead of time and then cook the lentils and tomatoes the day you’re serving. However, this is a GREAT recipe for meal prep so you can whip up the entire dish and then heat and serve.
  • Leftovers and storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 1-2 months and thaw by placing in the refrigerator for one day. Then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
  • Nutrition notes: This recipe is high in plant-based protein, is an excellent source of fiber, and is high in potassium.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 102gProtein: 28gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 102mgPotassium: 1876mgFiber: 34gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 543IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 9mg
Keyword easy lentil bowl, farro bowl, lentil grain bowl
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and updated with new photos and instructions in September 2022.

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4 Comments

  1. Love your pictures. Looks so delicious! Can’t wait to make this at home. I love recipes that use harissa as an ingredient. So flavorful. Thanks for sharing!

    1. I hope you like it! We make this at least once a week for dinner (in fact, we had it for dinner tonight, haha). I love harissa as well, always looking for more recipes to use it with.

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