Beets and farro are a quiet love story — the chewy grains catch the beet juice and turn pink, the goat cheese melts into everything, and the dill keeps it from feeling heavy.

The make-ahead lunch that gets better every day

Most lunches you prep on Sunday are noticeably worse by Wednesday. This one improves: the chewy farro absorbs more of the beet juice and dressing each day, turning a deeper pink, and the flavours marry into something more cohesive than they were the moment you assembled it.

Beets and farro are a quiet love story. The earthy sweetness of slow-roasted beets meets the nutty chew of farro, the goat cheese melts into everything, and the dill keeps it from feeling heavy. It's the kind of bowl that makes a desk lunch feel like a treat.

  • Genuine 5-day make-ahead lunch — gets better, not worse
  • Naturally vegetarian (vegan with the goat cheese omitted)
  • About 14g of protein and 11g of fibre per serving
  • Stunning jewel-toned colour that survives the week

Ingredient notes

Roasting beets the right way

Roasting beets in foil concentrates their natural sweetness in a way that boiling never does. Wash them well but don't peel before cooking — the skin slips off easily once roasted, and the colour stays inside the beet rather than bleeding into your water.

A mix of red and golden beets makes the bowl visually striking and gives slight flavour variation (golden beets are milder and earthier). If you want to avoid the pink-everything situation, roast and dress the golden beets separately and add them last.

Choosing your farro

Farro comes in three forms: whole (perlato is hardest, takes 45+ minutes), semi-pearled (semi-perlato, the most common, 25 minutes), and pearled (perlato, fastest at 15 minutes but lowest in fibre). Semi-pearled is the sweet spot for this bowl — fast enough for a weeknight, chewy enough to stand up to dressing.

Substitutes that work beautifully: spelt, barley, freekeh, or even brown rice. Quinoa works but gives a softer, less chewy bowl.

The right goat cheese

Soft, fresh goat cheese (chèvre) is what you want — the kind sold in a log. It crumbles cleanly and melts slightly into the warm farro for a creamy element throughout the bowl. Aged or hard goat cheese is too sharp here. Feta is a fine substitute if goat cheese isn't your thing.

Method: assembly is everything

There's no trick to cooking the components — the magic is in the assembly order. Dress the warm farro first so it absorbs the vinaigrette, add the beets while everything is still warm so their juices mingle, and reserve the cheese, walnuts, and dill for the very end so they stay distinct.

  • Wrap beets individually in foil and roast at 400°F for 45 minutes
  • Cool roasted beets slightly, then slip off the skins with your fingers (wear gloves)
  • Cook farro in well-salted water like pasta — taste at 20 minutes
  • Toss warm farro with the vinaigrette so it absorbs deeply
  • Add beets while still warm, top with cheese, nuts, and dill at the end

Endless variations

This template takes well to substitutions:

  • Swap walnuts for toasted hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds
  • Add roasted carrots or fennel alongside the beets for variety
  • Replace dill with mint or basil for a different aromatic profile
  • Stir in a handful of arugula or baby spinach just before eating for freshness
  • Pair with our {{LINK:0}} for a heartier dinner spread

The 5-day meal-prep plan

Make a double batch on Sunday and divide between five containers. Keep the dressed farro-beet mixture in one section, the cheese-walnut-dill topping in a separate small container or compartment. Combine just before eating so the toppings stay textured.

If you're packing for warmer environments, the goat cheese is the most temperature-sensitive component — keep it cold or substitute with feta which holds up better at room temperature.

Nutritional highlights

Beets are one of the few foods rich in dietary nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide — a compound shown to improve blood flow, reduce blood pressure, and even enhance exercise performance. Combined with whole-grain farro (high in fibre and B vitamins) and omega-3-rich walnuts, this is a bowl that does serious work for your cardiovascular system. The Harvard Health Publishing has covered the science behind beets and blood pressure extensively.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use pre-cooked vacuum-packed beets?

Yes, in a pinch — they save 45 minutes. The flavour is slightly less concentrated than home-roasted, but they're a perfectly good shortcut for a weeknight.

How do I make this gluten-free?

Replace the farro with quinoa, brown rice, or millet. The bowl loses some of the chewy character but is still excellent.

How do I avoid pink hands?

Wear disposable gloves when peeling and dicing the cooked beets. If you forget, scrub your hands with lemon juice and salt — it works surprisingly well.

Method

  1. Wrap beets in foil and roast at 400°F for 45 minutes until tender. Cool, peel and dice.
  2. Cook farro in salted water for 25 minutes until tender but chewy. Drain.
  3. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard and honey into a vinaigrette.
  4. Toss farro and beets with the vinaigrette. Top with crumbled goat cheese, walnuts and dill.

Cook's note

Wear gloves when handling cooked beets unless you want pink hands for two days.