A welcome return to the simplicity of bowl food. As summer begins its slow wind down, I can’t help but think of returning to more of our cherished and ingrained routines. Things like cooking at home more often, focusing on meals (as opposed to nonstop snacks), taking a couple hours on the weekend to plan dinners and prep some components ahead of time. I’m the kind of person that thrives in a state of routine, especially when it comes to what I eat. It helps to maintain a certain level of calm in my life.
These green goddess bowls feel so deeply nourishing. The star of the show is the pepita lime sauce for sure. If you’re skeptical about steamed kale, I’ve got you covered because once you smother those leaves in this sauce, you’ll be craving it regularly.
Our base is cooked whole farro, one of my favourite grains. It’s nutty, chewy, and seriously satiating. It pairs perfectly with all vegetables. I cook large batches of Flourist’s whole farro in my Instant Pot, let it cool completely, and then I freeze portions of it in resealable silicone bags. Then I can quickly throw it into recipes like this butternut squash farrotto, a creamy vegan mushroom stew, or this bright green harvest salad with broccoli rabe.
I’m still soaking up all the peaches and heirloom tomatoes that summer has to offer, but also slowly leaning into that quieter mode of living that’s focused on routine. How about you?
Green Goddess Bowls with Farro & Pepita Lime Sauce
Ingredients
Pepita Lime Sauce (makes extra)
- ¾ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, soaked for at least 1 hour (plus extra for garnish)
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley OR cilantro leaves, lightly packed
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon light miso
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup water, plus extra
For the Bowls
- 1 cup whole farro
- 1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 bunch kale, any kind, stemmed and chopped
- 1 ¾ cups cooked chickpeas (1 15oz can, drained and rinsed)
Equipment
Notes
- I cook farro more often now that I have an Instant Pot. I make big batches, cool it thoroughly, and store it in the freezer in sealed Stasher bags or containers. It takes 40 minutes on the stove, which isn’t exactly weeknight-friendly. I give both options in this recipe, but if you aren’t on team Instant Pot yet, I hope that I can convince you :)
- For a gluten-free option, cook quinoa, brown/black rice, or millet according to package directions.
Instructions
- Make the pepita lime sauce. First, drain the soaked pumpkin seeds. In a high speed blender, combine the drained pumpkin seeds, parsley, garlic, cumin, agave nectar, miso, lime zest, lime juice, salt, pepper, and water. Run the blender’s motor on high until you have a smooth and pourable sauce, adding more water if necessary. Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Sauce keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Once the sauce is done, prepare the farro on the stovetop OR in the Instant Pot.
- STOVETOP: Combine the farro, 1 ½ cups of filtered water, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the farro to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer the farro, covered, until all water is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Fluff the farro with a fork.
- INSTANT POT: Combine the farro, 1 cup of filtered water, and a pinch of sea salt in the Instant Pot insert. Give the mixture a stir. Secure the lid on top and ensure that the vent is in the SEALING position. Set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK on high for 22 minutes. Then, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before opening the vent. Fluff the farro with a fork.
- Place a medium saucepan or braiser with 2 inches of water on the stove over medium heat. Close the lid on top and bring it to a simmer. Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket. Place the steamer basket into the saucepan and close the lid. Steam broccoli until just-tender, about 5 minutes. Then, stuff all the chopped kale into the steamer basket as well and close the lid. Steam the kale for an additional minute.
- Assemble the green goddess bowls. Divide the farro and chickpeas among 4 bowls. Top the bowls with the steamed kale and broccoli. Liberally drizzle the pepita lime sauce on top. Finish with extra pumpkin seeds and lots of salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately!
Made this last night and it was fantastic! Hands down one of my favorites. Thanks!
Finally made this today for lunch after bookmarking it months ago. So delicious!!!! Might double the sauce next time (I’ll be making this again soon) Thank you!!
You save all of three minutes cooking farro in an Instant Pot? Super glad I haven’t fallen for the hype on them!
Having said that (sorry for being crappy!), thanks for posting these recipes. That sauce sounds amazing. Hope you and yours are well!
I made this somewhat skeptically over the weekend since steaming broccoli and kale isn’t my favorite way to eat those veggies, but WOW!! The flavors of the veggies and the pepita lime sauce combined beautifully to create one of the most delicious meals I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t have chickpeas on hand so I used baked tofu instead, but I couldn’t help thinking that I could easily ditch everything but the broccoli, kale and pepita lime sauce and be perfectly happy. Even my husband, who is still a bit skeptical of anything predominantly vegetable that is not laden with cheese and sour cream, raved about it. So thank you! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hi! This looks so yummy. Asking this question with genuine curiosity- doesn’t the instant pot method you described take about 40 minutes as well? I have had an instant pot for a few months now and haven’t found myself using it much because including the time it takes to come up to pressure and then release pressure it often seems to take as long as a stovetop method for most things I cook. Just wondering if I’m missing something!
I made these last night and they were so good. Simple, hearty and delicious and very easy to prep the farro and sauce in advance. It was just the ticket after a long day of work and school!
Saw this in my email this morning and knew I had to make it for lunch — I had all the ingredients and I love all of them, but the pepita lime sauce sounded new and fresh. And WOW, this was the best meal I’ve had in a long time! Thankfully I made enough of everything that I can eat it for lunch again tomorrow! This is a keeper recipe. Thanks for brightening my Wednesday.
Looking forward to making this! Any recommendations on how to prepare the farro if you don’t have an Instant Pot? Thanks!
Hi there,
I’ve included stovetop instructions in the recipe.
-L