Xanthan Gum Free Pomegranate-Mint Tuna Farro Bowl with Cucumber
This bowl is a genuinely exciting weeknight dinner — chewy, nutty farro layered with seared ahi tuna, jewel-bright pomegranate arils, cool cucumber, and a shower of fresh mint that makes every bite feel alive. The lemon-cumin dressing comes together with a quick whisk of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and spices, and it does double duty: half goes into the warm turmeric-tinted farro, and the rest gets drizzled right over the top at the end. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of xanthan gum — no packaged sauces, no thickened dressings, no processed shortcuts that sneak in additives you didn't ask for. That's actually one of the quiet wins of building a bowl from whole foods: the texture and body come from the farro itself, the crunch of pepitas, and the juicy pop of pomegranate rather than anything synthetic. Searing the tuna steaks to 145°F gives you a fully cooked, flaky result that still feels restaurant-worthy when fanned out over the grain base. It's the kind of meal that looks like you tried very hard and tastes even better than it looks.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the farro
- 1 ½ cups farro, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the tuna
- 4 ahi tuna steaks (about 5 oz each, 1-inch thick)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the bowls
- 1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
- 1 cup pomegranate arils (from 1 medium pomegranate or store-bought)
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- 1
Combine the farro, 3 cups water, and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the farro is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 25–30 minutes. Drain any excess water, fluff with a fork, and set aside.
- 2
While the farro cooks, whisk together 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper in a small bowl until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Set aside.
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