Sausage and Kale Farro in the Instant Pot

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This all in one meal combines the nutritional powerhouses of farro and kale with the tasty goodness of Italian sausage and Parmesan cheese. It is a well rounded meal that comes together quick and easily with the help of an instant pot.

A hearty one pot meal is always welcome at our dinner table. When that meal comes together in a pressure cooker, it’s all the better!

This easy dinner is a great way to get plenty of protein and fiber on the menu without it feeling like a chore. It is delicious and loaded with textures and flavors making it a real winner.

In addition to making it faster, using the pressure cooker helps to keep the heat contained and effort minimal. So this is a great summer meal when fresh local kale is easy to come by.

What is farro anyway?

Farro is an ancient grain that is a relative of today’s wheat. It is a great source of both protein and fiber, even moreso than quinoa.

According to Bob’s Red Mill it is easy to digest and a great source of iron too. It can be used in a lot of the same ways you would use rice or barley.

When cooked, it has a great chewy texture and a nice nutty flavor. It makes a great base for salads and would be a lovely substitute for quinoa in caprese quinoa salad or Mediterranean quinoa salad.

It also goes well in soups. The nuttiness would really be delicious with the earthy mushrooms.

But in today’s recipe it is a nice filler for a hearty hot meal. It takes almost no effort to cook with the help of the pressure cooker.

Our love hate relationship with kale

Of course we know kale is good for us. It is also fiber rich and packed with nutrients.

I love that it is hearty enough you can make a salad from it and it lasts for days. It doesn’t wilt and get wimpy like a lettuce salad.

You can make a lemony kale salad on the weekend and eat it for lunch throughout the week. It holds up well for quite a few days!

Or make a pot of kale and white bean soup for a simple and delicious meal. It warms you up while it fills you up.

We get kale in more CSA boxes than we don’t throughout the summer and my husband is done after one salad. So I try to come up with heartier ways to serve it otherwise I’d be on my own eating the kale from the second week on. 😉

Luckily I have learned that wilting the kale and tossing in some sausage makes it much more palatable to him. So I’ve done everything from pizza toscana to kale and sausage quiche over the years.

This new twist on the Italian sausage and kale combination feels like a hearty meat filled meal but still packs that nutritional punch. It’s a perfect compromise!

Can I make this if I don’t have an instant pot?

Of course! This recipe can easily be transformed into a one pot meal cooked on the stove.

Just brown the Italian sausage and deglaze the pan with your broth. Increase the amount of broth to 3 cups to account for the extra evaporation.

Now add the seasonings and farro. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.

The farro should be tender but chewy. Now stir in the kale and cook until wilted.

Add a little water if you see that it is getting dry. Remove from the heat and stir in a handful of Parmesan cheese.

It is still a super simple and tasty meal either way. So don’t get discouraged down if you don’t have a pressure cooker!

More fabulous one pot meals

One pot pasta with sausage and broccoli is another great easy meal that features one of my favorite proteins, Italian sausage. It is a family pleaser and takes very little effort to make.

One pot collards with rice and sausage is another great option. You could easily sub kale in for the collards if that is easier for you to find.

Or whip up some chicken and spinach risotto in the instant pot. It is creamy and delicious, nobody will guess how easy it was to make.

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