Farro Tomato Ramen
Farro is one of those ancient grains that Italians have been eating for thousands of years, and there's a reason it never went out of style. It has this incredible chewy texture and nutty flavor that holds up beautifully in soup without turning to mush like rice or pasta would. Combining it with ramen noodles sounds like carb overload, but the farro adds substance and nutrition while the noodles give you something to slurp, and together they create this satisfying bowl that feels both rustic and modern. Roasted cherry tomatoes are the star here, blistered in the oven until they burst and release all their concentrated sweetness into the broth. A shower of parmesan at the end ties everything together, and you've got a bowl that tastes like the Italian countryside decided to learn Japanese.
Ancient grain meets new—tomatoes burst their red hearts—Italy bows east.
Let Me Tell You...
I discovered farro on a trip to Umbria where every restaurant seemed to serve it in some form, usually in soups that had been simmering all day and tasted like the concentrated essence of Italian grandmothers' love.
The grain has this satisfying chew that's almost meaty, and it doesn't fall apart no matter how long you cook it, which makes it perfect for soups where you want texture that lasts.
I bought a bag at a tiny market in Spoleto and carried it home in my suitcase, determined to figure out how to incorporate it into my regular cooking rotation.
Whole farro takes over an hour to cook and needs overnight soaking.
The tomato combination happened during late summer when I had more cherry tomatoes than I knew what to do with, the result of ambitious farmers market shopping and limited refrigerator space.
Roasting them at high heat until they blister and pop is the best way to handle tomato abundance, and the concentrated flavor they develop is nothing like raw tomatoes, sweeter and deeper and almost jammy.
I threw some into a pot of farro soup one night and the combination was so good I started making it intentionally.
Those caramelized juices are pure flavor.
Adding ramen noodles to farro soup was my compromise when my roommate complained that grain soups weren't filling enough, which was her polite way of saying she wanted something more familiar.
The noodles cook separately and go into the bowl at the end, giving you two different textures to play with while the rich tomato broth ties everything together.
The farro is chewy and substantial, the noodles are slippery and soft, and the burst tomatoes add pockets of intense sweetness throughout.
Adding raw noodles to the soup makes the broth starchy and cloudy.
This bowl is what I make when I want comfort food that feels a little more sophisticated than usual, the kind of thing you can serve to guests without it seeming like you're just feeding them soup.
The parmesan melts into the hot broth and adds salt and umami, the basil perfumes every bite, and the whole thing tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did.
Sometimes the best cooking is just putting good ingredients together and letting them do the work.
Ingredients
- 2 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
- 1 cup semi-pearled farro
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until blistered and some have burst.
- While the tomatoes roast, cook the farro. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the farro. Cook for 25-30 minutes until tender but still chewy. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes to let the garlic infuse the broth.
- Add the roasted tomatoes and their juices to the broth. Use a spoon to gently crush some of the tomatoes. Stir in the cooked farro. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Remove the garlic cloves from the broth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide the cooked ramen noodles between serving bowls. Ladle the farro and tomato broth over the noodles.
- Top with freshly grated parmesan and torn basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.