Mediterranean Shrimp & Farro Pilaf
Always choose your carbohydrates carefully to keep your energy levels steady. Here, we’ve chosen whole-grain farro as the base of our scrumptious pilaf – it contains fiber as well as iron, a mineral that’s essential for your body to make hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to your body’s cells.
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NOTE: Whole-grain farro retains the hull, bran and germ, making it nutritionally superior to semi-pearled and pearled varieties. Before cooking, whole-grain farro must be soaked overnight. If you can’t find whole-grain farro, opt for semi-pearled or pearled varieties, skip the soaking step and reduce cook time to 15 to 30 minutes.
Find more Mediterranean recipes here.
See alsoWhy Eating Mediterranean Makes Sense.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole-grain farro, soaked overnight (see note)
- 1 red onion, cut into small dice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups cooked great northern beans (or 1 15-oz BPA-free can, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 1/4 tsp raw honey
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 8 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup unsalted walnuts, toasted and chopped
Preparation
- Drain farro and spread it out on a baking sheet to dry slightly.
- In a small bowl, combine onion and garlic. In a medium saucepan on medium, add 2 tsp oil. Sauté half of onion and garlic mixture for 1 minute. Add farro, oregano and pepper flakes; stir for 1 minute more. Pour in 2¼ cups water, stir and increase heat to bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low; simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, until farro is tender but still chewy. Stir in beans and ¼ tsp salt; cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, 2 tbsp oil, honey, remaining ¼ tsp salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large sauté pan on medium-high, heat remaining 1 tsp oil. Add remaining half of onion and garlic mixture; sauté for 1 minute. Add spinach and sauté for 2 minutes, until wilted. Toss in shrimp and sauté for 3 minutes, until pink and cooked through.
- Transfer farro to a serving bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss. Top with shrimp and spinach and sprinkle with feta and walnuts.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 c farro, 4 shrimp
- Calories 565
- Carbohydrate Content 73 g
- Cholesterol Content 88 mg
- Fat Content 19 g
- Fiber Content 14 g
- Protein Content 29 g
- Saturated Fat Content 4 g
- Sodium Content 422 mg
- Sugar Content 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 5 g