Farro Dolmades Recipe with Whipped Feta Cheese and Olives
Try this twist on a classic for a Farro Dolmades Recipe with Whipped Feta Cheese and Olives that make for the perfect appetizer.
Servings: 24
Prep Time: 1 hourhour
Cook Time: 1 hourhour
Ingredients
For the dolmades:
1cupBob’s Red Mill farro
1tablespoonolive oil
½yellow onion, diced
116 oz jar grape leaves
1lbground beef
1tablespoonchopped fresh oregano
⅓cupchopped fresh parsley
4garlic cloves, roasted or fresh, minced
¼teaspooncinnamon
2teaspoonssalt
Juice of 1 lemon
For the whipped feta:
8ozfeta, at room temperature
4ozcream cheese, at room temperature
Zest of 1 lemon
⅓cupGreek olives, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Season the water with salt and add the farro. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
Bring another saucepan of water to a boil. Drain the grape leaves, unroll, and rinse. Add grape leaves to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the grape leaves with cool water.
Combine the cooked farro, cooked onion, ground beef, oregano, parsley, garlic, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Toss gently with your hands to combine.
Sort the grape leaves, setting aside the torn leaves or very small leaves. Take 6–8 of the usable leaves and lay them on a work surface. Place 1 tablespoon of filling onto each leaf toward the stem end. Arrange the filling into a long cylinder shape and roll each leaf like a burrito, folding the stem end over the filling and rolling, tucking in the sides as you roll. Wrap firmly but not too tightly, as mixture may expand slightly when cooking. Repeat until the filling is gone.
Place half of the remaining torn/small leaves in the bottom of a saucepan. Stack the dolmades next to each other in the pan, making 2–3 layers if necessary. Add 2 cups water and the juice of 1 lemon. Place the other half of the remaining grape leaves on top and cover. Bring the water to a simmer and cook for 40–50 minutes, or until the ground beef is cooked through. Carefully remove the dolmades with tongs and set aside to cool slightly.
Combine feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5–8 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Top with the olives and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with the dolmades.