Being inspired by other bloggers on a daily basis has become so commonplace for me, that I can’t believe I never used to read blogs at all. Every day, in my inbox, or in my Facebook or Instagram feeds, I see amazing creations, made by incredibly talented people. There are times, however, when something just grabs my attention and I think about it daily until I recreate it in my own kitchen.
This meal was inspired by two bloggers who are both so crazy talented in the kitchen and with a camera, that I can never leave their blogs without being totally stunned. Courtney of The Fig Tree is always wowing me with her photography and her Vegan Tuesdays consistently amaze me. Awhile back, Courtney shared this Corn Farrotto that I went totally gaga over. Farro in risotto form? Heck, yes! Since farro is one of my favorite grains, you can count me in!
Then, a couple weeks ago, Heather from Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes, shared some Rosemary Roasted Beets that were so gorgeous, I couldn’t not make them. I love roasting beets, but I have no clue as to why I had never thought to roast them with rosemary. This is why Heather rocks my world. That and her amazing cakes, breads, and photography.
I had been planning on making Courtney’s farrotto, but when my CSA sent me beets, I knew that Heather’s beets had to be part of it. Rosemary roasted beets, mixed into a creamy chickpea farrotto made for an unforgettable dinner. Cooked farro has a very nutty taste a pleasant chewy feel to it to begin with, so when it’s slow-cooked, risotto-style, those attributes are highly accentuated. The rosemary roasted beets give the farroto, a beautiful scarlet color and bursts of rustic, earthy flavor, and the chickpeas, as per usual, give the entire dish that little extra “oomph.”
This was the type of dinner that is so unbelievably delicious that it renders you incapable of participating in any sort of conversation because you’re so busy focusing on taking tiny bites, very slowly, so that the meal does not end. I wish Heather and Courtney could have been there to enjoy this long, silent dinner with us.
scarlet rosemary chickpea farrotto
Ingredients
- 4 red beets, peeled and diced
- ½ tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, separated
- ½ onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 ½ cups farro, rinsed
- 1 ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried ground sage
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ lemon
- ½ cup nooch
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Place your peeled and diced beets on a piece of tin foil. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil on the beets and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to fully coat the beets and fold the foil over to create and enclosed pouch. Place a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, but do not open the foil pouch until ready to use.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil with the garlic in a large, shallow saucepan over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, farro, ¼ cup vegetable broth, thyme, sage, fennel seeds and the remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until liquid has mostly cooked away.
- Add 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth and the roasted beets, stir, and cover the pan. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has mostly cooked away. Add ½ cup of vegetable broth, stir and cover. Once the liquid has mostly cooked away, add another ½ cup of vegetable broth, stir and cover. Continue this pattern until all broth has been used and the farro is fully cooked and thick. Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir to fully combine. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
Inspired by this recipe and this recipe
First time here? Check out the rest of my Chickpea Love Affair Vegan MoFo Entries!
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Photography by Chris Miller
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wow- what a beautiful dish! i can’t stop thinking about courtney and heather’s meals, either. this is the perfect mix of both. and the color is lovely!
Thank you, Cailtin. Aren’t those ladies just so inspiring?!
YOU Ladies are truly inspiring
I’m blushing.
Love it, too! Bloggers always impress me (especially you!) with novel recipes. Beets are uber cheap right now and I just pickled a bunch but this recipe is calling me… go get more beets!
PS. I also appreciate your calling it “nooch” in the ingredient list.
Thank you so much, Janet! This time of year, I cannot get enough of beets. Or notch.
All THREE of you rock my world on a regular basis! <3 Lovely recipe!
Awwww! Shucks! Thank you, Melissa!
yay for inspiration! i have to make so many of heathers cakes:) and so many of your tacos!
I have so many of Heather’s (and yours) recipes “pinned” to make later, but I would mostly rather just have both of you come and cook for me. I’ll make y’all tacos in exchange.
How can we make this happen!
Can you imagine how fun that would be?
See now THIS just blows ME away Kristy! This looks so gorgeous and sounds beautifully earthy, warming and filling. I love how you combined the 2 ideas and made the dish your own
You are so sweet, Gabby! Thank you so much- you always manage to put a huge smile on my face! xo
I don’t think I’ve ever cooked with farro ….
I have two beets so after this juice cleanse this week this is a must …I love how creative you are
Farro is quickly becoming my favorite grain. It’s like rice, but chewier and nuttier. I hope you enjoy it!
So I had 4 beets so I bought some farro and made this..
So good
I love love beets..
Hubby brought Vegan pizza been normal for Fridays lately but I said nope I want something filling and I wouldn’t feel guilty…big hit
Hubby had it before pizza
Awesome! I love hearing that!
Kristy you are such a sweetheart and so amazingly creative – this is the perfect fusion of the 2 recipes! I really wish I could have been there for this dinner too
The only down side to meeting all these wonderful people via blogging is the distance! hahaha I am apparently drawn too you blogging peeps over on the west coast and in Canada….maybe I need to move to Cali?
I am so happy we have become friends – you are pretty awesome!
If you hadn’t gathered, I think you’re pretty awesome too.
I think I love your description of true blog friend love as much as I did your recipe. You inspire me Kristy! xoxo
Thank you, my amazing blog friend! I am so thankful to have found you too! xoxo
I agree that it’s so wonderful to visit blogs and see the creative and mouthwatering things that people are doing & sharing! I wish that I could get into cooked beets. The color is so vibrant & striking!
Thank you- your blog is definitely one of my favorite blogs to go to when I want to be completely inspired food-wise or writing-wise.
Aw, you’re so sweet!! Thank you!!
Awe, this is so cool!
I’m so glad you tried the farro risotto! And adding rosemary beets is genius! Heather’s recipe looked so good!
And thank you for the lovely kind words! xoxo
I find your blog incredibly inspiring, so it means a lot that you are inspired by some of my recipes too! *hugs*
Endless thanks to you, Courtney. *hugs*