21 Creative Ways to Cook With Whole Grains

From barley to farro to brown rice, we love these creative ways to cook whole grains.

January 13, 2015

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Whole grains are good for you and taste great—these creative recipes for soup, salad, and more are proof. From brown rice to freekeh and millet, we've got 21 tasty options for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between.

Christopher Testani
1/21
Barley, Fennel, and Beet Salad
We use tender small beets and slice them raw, for added texture.
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Christina Holmes
2/21
Apple Cider–Cooked Farro
Boiling farro in apple cider instead of water infuses grains with character.
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Christina Holmes
3/21
Thai-Style Grain Salad with Crunchy Seeds
Grain salads, like this herb-spiked one made with smoky freekeh, come together instantly with leftovers.
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4/21
Chicken in a Pot with Carrots, Turnips, and Barley
This recipe calls for pearled barley, but you can substitute any other whole grain you're partial to.
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Christina Holmes
5/21
Bacon and Scallion Farrotto
Semi-pearled farro has had some of its outer kernel removed, which allows the starch to release and create a creamy sauce while cooking.
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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
6/21
Brown Rice Porridge with Hazelnuts and Jam
Short-grain brown rice is a welcome change in routine from traditional oatmeal.
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7/21
Toasted Barley Salad with Broccoli
Toasting the barley before cooking it adds another nutty dimension to the grain. This technique also works great with things like farro, spelt, and couscous.
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Ditte Isager
8/21
Stir-Fried Grains with Shrimp and Eggs
We love the way the egg yolk "dresses" the grains and shrimp when broken into.
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Ditte Isager
9/21
Toasted Spelt Soup with Escarole and White Beans
This toasted spelt soup with escarole and white beans was inspired by the classic Italian pasta and bean stew. Unlike macaroni, the grains stay nice and chewy, even when reheated days later.
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Ditte Isager
10/21
Millet-Scallion Pancakes
The batter for these fritter-like cakes is pretty dry, but that’s what yields crisp results. Pressing them flat in the pan also helps maximize the crunch factor.
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Peden + Munk
11/21
5-Grain Porridge with Bee Pollen, Apples, and Coconut
If you don’t have each and every grain listed, don’t stress. Use what you’ve got—just bump up the quantity.
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12/21
Wheat Berries with Charred Onions and Kale
Fall in love with kale all over again with this toothsome salad.
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13/21
Brown Rice Mujadarra with Mixed Herbs
Mujadarra is a popular Middle Eastern side dish comprised of lentils and rice. Here, it's perfumed with cumin and finished with yogurt. Serve along side roasted chicken or with a fried egg as a meal on its own.
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14/21
Oxtail Soup with Onions and Barley
This is the ultimate dead-of-winter warmer.[
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15/21
Squash and Farro Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette
With grains for heft, many colors of vegetables, and a little bit of tangy cheese, this vegetarian dinner has all the bases covered.
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Ditte Isager
16/21
Black and Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash
Fresh herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, can be subbed for the microgreens.
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17/21
Freekeh Salad with Chicken and Kale
If you can’t find freekeh, use another whole grain, like spelt or rye berries.
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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
18/21
Spiced Fava Bean Soup with Rice and Tomato
Cumin, coriander, and allspice make this one flavorful soup.
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19/21
Brown Rice and Greens Soup with Turkey Sausage
A good-for-you option that even the pickiest of eaters will like.
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Marcus Nilsson
20/21
Haricots Verts and Freekeh with Minty Tahini Dressing
This is what ranch dressing would taste like if it spent a few months traipsing through the Middle East.
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Photo by Ditte Isager
21/21
Nutty Grain and Oat Bars
We can’t stress it enough: Pack the mixture as tightly as possible into the loaf pan. This is essential for the slices to hold together when cut.
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Senior Associate Web Editor. When she’s not torturing herself by grinding coffee beans by hand and making her own butter, Rochelle writes about cooking techniques and seasonal eating for bonappetit.com. She comes to BA by way of a small farm in Central New York, where she worked as a farmhand ... Read More