21 Ways with Whole Grains

Create this tasty vegetarian bowl using chickpeas and Freekeh with Parsley and Onions, topped with thinly sliced brussels sprouts, plain yogurt, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Recipe: Saffron Tomato Chickpeas, Freekeh, and Brussels Sprouts

Nutty, salty, and sweet, this hearty salad is best with apples that soften when cooked but still hold their shape.

Recipe: Farro Salad with Apples, Halloumi, and Herbs

In our favorite new weeknight meal, kasha and a poached egg rev up greens and smoky pork. The recipe comes from Sandy Sonnenfelt, prepared-foods director at Market Hall Foods and its flagship store, The Pasta Shop in Oakland.

Recipe: Kasha with Kale and Pancetta

Imagine a classic Asian-style rice bowl, but with a risotto-like blend of millet and amaranth as the base. At Vital Root in Denver, chef-owner Justin Cucci tops the grains with loads of vegetables and tofu, then drizzles on a silky tahini sauce.

Recipe: Millet Amaranth Buddha Bowls

This tasty tabbouleh uses Freekeh with Parsley and Onions recipe as its base, with additional ingredients like Persian cucumbers and feta cheese to take it to the next level.

Recipe: Freekeh Tabbouleh

Kris Tominaga serves this dramatic salad at Cadet restaurant in Santa Monica. Wild rice and black quinoa (the quinoa fried until crunchy) form a backdrop for colorful greens and salmon. In winter, frozen sockeye salmon is an excellent choice.

Recipe: Salmon and Grains Salad with Pistachio Salsa Verde

A simple vinaigrette and creamy goat cheese perfectly dress crisp and crunchy veggies. Quinoa adds a punch of protein to a main-dish vegetarian salad that’s sure to please.

Recipe: Kale Salad with Red Quinoa, Fennel, and Carrots

We adapted this recipe from a forthcoming book on vegetables (Artisan, 2017) by Joshua McFadden, chef and vegetable whisperer at Ava Gene’s in Portland. Creating fluffy ribbons of collard greens is easy when you roll the leaves and slice them crosswise.

Recipe: Collard Greens Salad with Freekeh

We love the play of savory-sweet flavors and big textures in this hearty winter salad from Rocky Maselli of A16 Rockridge in Oakland—and also his foolproof technique for cooking farro.

Recipe: Roasted Kabocha Squash with Farro and Mustard Greens

Light, fluffy, and very nutritious, quinoa—one of the "ancient grains" that have sustained the people of the Andes for centuries—thrives in Colorado, too. It's super easy to cook (easier than rice) and makes wonderful salad.

Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Oranges

Need a little excitement in your life (or at least your cooking)? Try this jet-black rice, filled with sweet hunks of roasted squash, toasted pecans, and juicy, bright-red pomegranate seeds. It's drama in a bowl, and it's utterly delicious.

Recipe: Black Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Seeds

Buckwheat, a hugely popular grain in Eastern Europe, makes a fantastic wintertime salad. Its sweet earthiness links right into the roasted shallots, and the sweet-tangy apples and slightly bitter radicchio give layers of flavor and texture to the dish.

Recipe: Warm Buckwheat Salad with Roasted Shallots, Apples, and Frisee

This simple but knockout salad came to us from Feel Good Foods Catering in Santa Cruz, CA. Farro, an ancient strain of wheat, has a very pleasing tender-chewy texture and deep, nutty flavor; you can find it at well-stocked grocery stores, or order online from bluebirdgrainfarms.com

Recipe: Farro, Green Olive, and Feta Salad

Middle Eastern freekeh has a sweet-smoky flavor and a juicy, chewy texture. It’s delicious in burgers, with lentils, and strewn over salads—as is, or fried until crisp. You can use store-bought vegetable broth, but for exceptional flavor, it’s worth it to make your own (find our Hearty Vegetable Broth recipe at sunset.com).

Recipe: Freekeh with Parsley and Onions

Technically a seed (so no gluten), quinoa is touted as a superfood for its high fiber and protein. The runny yolk of a poached egg creates a little sauce on top.

Recipe: Red Quinoa Bowl with Swiss Chard and Poached Egg

Have you ever made grape leaves stuffed with rice, nuts, and seasonings, Middle Eastern style? They're wonderful, but they are time-consuming to make. This recipe is a terrific fast take on those flavors—and has the health benefits of whole-grain farro, too.

Recipe: Farro Dolmas Salad

No longer the grainy, crumbly stuff of years past, whole-grain pastas have a toothsome texture and pleasantly nutty flavor, and they're sold in most supermarkets. Penne is one of our favorites; its little ridges have a way of trapping the light lemon and olive oil dressing and crumbles of cheese.

Recipe: Whole-Grain Penne with Walnuts Caramelized Onions and Ricotta Salata

A simple, excellent, healthy soup for a weeknight. You'll feel like your mama is cooking for you.

Recipe: Whole Grain Pasta Soup with Greens and Parmesan

Brown rice is rice that hasn't been messed with. Any type of white rice―long-grain, short-grain, basmati―begins as brown rice, which means its outer layer of bran has not yet been removed. This pilaf, made with long-grain brown rice, three kinds of nuts, and Indian spices, is a healthy recipe you'll return to often.

Recipe: Nutted Brown Rice Pilaf

There’s no reason you have to eat mediocre food while you’re camping. Take these pancakes, for instance: they have whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, and wheat bran; they’re tender and fragrant; and you can pack the dry mix and just add eggs and oil at the site. Of course, they’re great at home too.

Recipe: Hearty Whole-Grain Pancakes

If you’ve never liked rice pudding, give this recipe a try. And if you’re already an R.P. fan, it’ll make you weak in the knees. Coconut milk and brown sweet rice combine to make a rich, silky dessert that isn’t cloying. Tangy-sweet dried apricots on top give it a brightness and intensity.

Recipe: Coconut Brown Rice Pudding