I Don't Trust These Short Cooking Times for Farro with Lentils

Lentil, Avocado, and Farro Salad is a CP and it drew my attention. I like all the components but i don't feel confident in the prescribed cooking time of "lentils and pre-soaked farro, cooked together 10-12 minutes til tender. As someone who prefers to play it safe when i am hesitant, my plan is to pre-soak the farro overnight and then cook it separately from the lentils til each is tender, then follow the rest of the recipe. What's your experience w/ cooking times for farro and lentils? Don't the cooking times vary alot depending upon age of the grains and legumes, etc? thx much.

LeBec Fin
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9 Comments

nutcakes
nutcakes February 21, 2014
Interesting question. Suggestion For future reference, if you ask the question from the bottom of the recipe page, the link is at the bottom with the comments (a bit hidden I've had to hunt), then

1. the question is posted to hotline with a link to the recipe
2. people who come along later can see that question link and read the past Q & As
 
LeBec F.
LeBec F. February 20, 2014
hi lamby, done done it!
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx February 20, 2014
LBF - Curious if you emailed the author or the editors for a response. I love lentils, but I use Melissa's recipe ready package and Pedon's Italian 10 minute faro for dishes.
 
ATG117
ATG117 February 20, 2014
If you want to cook them together, perhaps you can add the Farrow once the lentils have gotten a heads tart.
 
savorthis
savorthis February 20, 2014
My opinion is that farro has a large window of texture that is good and thus more forgiving. But in Denver lentils can take a good 45 minutes, I like the idea of cooking them together but if you want more control then mixing them together once cooked sounds good to me.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune February 19, 2014
I don't soak lentils because I think they come out mushy when I have. But they don't take "10-12 minutes" -- more like 30-40. But farro, I soak for 20 minutes and then cook for 20 minutes. I don't think I'd cook the lentils and farro together, because I think the farro would get mushy cooked as long as the lentils take.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames February 19, 2014
Your intuition is absolutely correct. I concur with both of the others who have responded. Incidentally, you can speed up the lentil cooking time by soaking them. I never soaked my lentils before reading a few weeks ago that Deborah Madison does it. (I tried it, but then ended up with lentils I thought were too soft and mushy. Oh well.) Of course, how long either takes to cook will depend on the actual ingredients themselves. ;o)
 
ChezHenry
ChezHenry February 19, 2014
Your methodology is sound. Cooking times for grains and legumes vary greatly depending on many factors including their age. I agree to cook them separately.
 
Maedl
Maedl February 19, 2014
Lentils usually require about 30 minutes, but I don't soak them, so that could change the cooking time. The farro could be ready in 10 minutes, then again, it, too, could easily require longer. Apparently there are three different grains being sold as farro--Einkorn, emmer and spelt. Depending on what you have, the cooking times vary greatly. The kind that cooks quickly is usually labeled as pearled farro. See http://nourishedkitchen.com/good-questions-einkorn-spelt-heirloom-wheat-ancient-grains/ for a very good explanation of these grains.
 
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