This vegetarian Mediterranean bowl is filled with grilled vegetables and farro, then topped with a garlic yogurt sauce, kalamata olives, feta and hummus.
Recipe inspiration comes in many forms. This recipe’s inspiration came from a mish mosh of veggies in my crisper and a trip to Michigan with a mish mosh of food bloggers.
Similarities in my kitchen and in my life never seem to end.
Thanks to my friends Liz of The Lemon Bowl, Dara of Cookin’ Canuck and Phi of Sweet Phi, the hosts of the #FreshCoastRetreat, 16 food bloggers reaped the benefits of connecting with one another, and the inspiration for this healthy, vegetarian, one-bowl meal was picqued.
But before I share more about the retreat, let’s talk about the recipe for this one-bowl meal.
I’ve been working hard on keeping up with my weekly meal prep and grilled veggies are a weekly staple. They’re so easy to prepare, cook and have on hand for whatever comes up. Add them to omelets, or a one-man fritatta for breakfast. Pull them from the fridge for my Grilled Vegetable and Herbed Ricotta Sandwiches for lunch.
And this farro bowl feast makes an amazing meatless dinner, but it’s also good to go for pretty much any time of day. Even for breakfast with a sunny side up egg on top. I can see that.
I was inspired to create this one-bowl recipe thanks to some of the sponsors of #FreshCoastRetreat, Bob’s Red Mill, Sabra, Stonyfield and DeLallo. It’s a recipe, but it’s not. Like I said, it’s a bit of a mish-mosh so is totally adaptable to what veggies you have handy and how hungry you are.
Nutty farro thanks to Bob’s Red Mill is one of my favorite grains. It’s filling and super healthy and one of the ancient grains of the Mediterranean.
Hummus is another Mediterranean fave and Sabra makes a great blend. Roasted Red Pepper is my favorite flavor but their new Lemon flavor is my new obsession. Try it as a dip for artichokes, it’s incredible. I used a big dollop for this recipe to add a creamy tang.
The drizzle of creamy, lemony, garlic flavor is thanks to Stonyfield’s Greek Yogurt with a bit of cucumber and fresh herbs. You’ll definitely want to add a bit more or less to your taste.
I can’t take credit for this sauce though. This is the winning recipe from our weekend’s yogurt recipe contest created by Andie Mitchell, from her new cookbook.
Here I thought I had the winner recipe, but it was not to pass. I mean, look at the determination on her face.
But I’m not a sore loser, I just take advantage of greatness and share it.
Finally, feta cheese, kalamata olives from DeLallo Foods, and a smattering of fresh herbs complete the meal.
This recipe makes enough for two bowls. Or, if you’re cooking for one, save the cooked veggies for another creation inspiration. There’s plenty out there.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
- 1 cup dried farro
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 portobello mushroom
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
- 8 ounces asparagus
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 yellow squash, sliced
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pint plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 2 tablespoons minced cucumber
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- Kosher salt
- Red bell pepper hummus
- ¼ cup halved kalamata olives
- ⅛ cup feta cheese crumbles
- Rinse the farro in a colander under cold water then place in a saucepan with the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed by the farro, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the vegetables, flipping once, until tender and grill marks appear. Pull from the grill and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, garlic, cucumber, lemon juice, fresh mint and dill together. Season with salt to taste.
- Chop the grilled vegetables into bite size pieces. Split the farro into two bowls and layer with the grilled vegetables, a scoop of hummus in each bowl, half of the kalamata olives and feta cheese. Drizzle with the garlic yogurt sauce and fresh dill or mint. Serve warm or at room temperature.
#FreshCoastRetreat on Lake Michigan
I’m no stranger to smaller, intimate blogging retreats and am proud to be one of the first to host my own with my retreat creating partner, Maria. Smaller retreats provide more time and more connection with my fellow online workmates and experience and learn from brands.
This retreat was held on the shores of Lake Michigan, on Lake Muskegon, about 50 miles outside of Grand Rapids. One central home is essential to an intimate blogging retreat and this location that sleeps 14 !!! (available to rent here) was the perfect home base.
Relaxing. Inspiring. Inspriational. It all came full circle.
Here’s who attended the retreat, from left to right: Gina of SkinnyTaste, Myself, Trevor & Jennifer from Show Me The Yummy, Liz of The Lemon Bowl, Lee from Fit Foodie Finds, Alejandra from Always Order Dessert, Lynn from Order in the Kitchen, Amy of Amy’s Healthy Baking, Phi from Sweet Phi, Alexis of Hummusapien, Andie Mitchell, Dara of Cookin’ Canuck and Denise & Lenny of Chez Us.
Spending time with professional bloggers 24 hours a day may sound a bit overwhelming, but it also creates unexpected opportunities to learn and share with others who may be facing similar business challenges.
And, of course, more opportunities to snack, nosh and relish in lots of delicious food.
Thank you to #FreshCoastRetreat for the terrific weekend to unwind, reset and recharge. And a big thanks to all of the sponsors for making it all possible: Experience Grand Rapids, Bob’s Red Mill, Sabra, Stonyfield, Lindt Chocolate, The Little Potato Company, DeLallo Foods, and Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads.
As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
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Hi Heidi,
Great to hear a little about your Fresh Coast Retreat. It must have been lots of fun & delicious food spending time with fellow bloggers!! Such a beautiful place to have a blogger retreat. Love that gorgeous view.
Amy
This time of year I’m ALL about the grilled veggies! I’ll also take extra olives too, please and thanks you 🙂 The retreat looked so fun, what a lovely group of people to spend a weekend with!
the retreat looks SO incredible, what a lovely time!!! and this bowl looks just as good too, I LOVE farro and I just don’t see enough of it in recipes 🙂 pinned! xo
This recipe – omg, totally digging it, it looks perfect for summer and that sauce, still dreaming about it!! It was so nice to get to spend time together at the retreat, you are simply amazing and your creativity is wow-worthy!
Sometimes I think I could live on grilled veggies alone but they look even better in this gorgeous bowl. Love!
I need a grill. This bowl is completely mouthwatering and I love the yogurt sauce and fresh dill to top it all! That house.. I’m all OMGeee.. (!!) What a fabulous retreat. To be able to spend time with other bloggers you admire in a relaxed setting is such a great way to connect and share ideas and challenges! Have a beautiful weekend Heidi!
i never tried this recipe.hope i think it tastes good.
Thanks for this post with us . I applaud your post .
Jarl Moe said eating healthy food may become a struggle, especially when there are so many fast food restaurants everywhere we turn. Often people make excuses like they don’t have time to get healthy food, it’s not that accessible, or that they don’t know how to prepare it. However, there are just as many supermarkets that stock fresh produce as there are fast foods outlets, so accessibility is a poor excuse.