Job's grains or Job's tears: my French-style plant-based recipe

The first time I cooked with Job's tears (also known as "Job's tears"), I had a real epiphany: they're somewhere between a rustic grain and a small pasta, with a pearly sheen and a very pleasant texture. They're the kind of ingredient that makes a simple dish look instantly sophisticated on the plate.

Called Coix lacryma-jobi, Job's grain, Job's tears, bead grass, larmille, necklace grass, or bead seed, it is a species of Poaceae (grass) found in damp places and native to Southeast Asia. It is a cereal grain relatively rich in protein and gluten-free!

In my traditional version, I treat them like an ancient grain in French cuisine: an aromatic base (onion, garlic), a splash of stock, gentle cooking, then a garnish of sautéed vegetables and mushrooms for flavor. Finally, a touch of butter and parsley to round it out and give it that "table dish" quality we love.

To keep it seasonal and maintain its character, I add leek, carrot, and mushrooms. This adds a creamy texture, a touch of sweetness, and an earthy aroma. Nutritionally, it's also a fairly balanced dish: complex carbohydrates, fiber, a bit of plant-based protein, and a good amount of vegetables.

If you've never cooked this before, don't worry: the only real key is to avoid rushing the cooking process. Let it simmer gently, keep an eye on the liquid level, and taste it at the end.

After that, you can easily adapt: ​​more parsley, a little white wine when deglazing, or a touch of old-fashioned mustard if you like (but the base remains the same).

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Job's Grains (Job's Tears) vegetable stew version

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: average

Portions

4

people

Preparation

17

minutes

Cooking

38

minutes

Calories

437

kcal

Total time

55

minutes

tears (or "grains of Job") are gently cooked like a small vegetable stew, with mushrooms, leeks, and carrots. All bound together with a touch of butter and parsley for a simple, warm, and truly satisfying dish.

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Ingredients

• 260 g of Job's grains or Job's tears (dry)

• 1 yellow onion (approx. 120g)

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 leek (approx. 180g net)

• 2 carrots (approx. 200g)

• 250g of button mushrooms

• 1.1 L of hot vegetable broth

• 40g of butter

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (approx. 20g)

• 2 tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 sprig of thyme

• 1 teaspoon of fine salt (adjust as needed)

• Black pepper

Preparation steps

• Rinse the Job's grains in cold water in a sieve, stirring them well. Drain.
• Finely chop the onion. Mince the garlic. Wash the leek and slice it into thin half-moons. Dice the carrots (the smaller the dice, the faster they cook). Slice the mushrooms.
• In a casserole dish, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 20g of butter. Sweat the onion for 3 minutes over medium heat, without browning. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
• Pour the Job's tears into the pot. Mix for 2 minutes: the idea is to coat them with fat to develop a rounder taste.
• Add the bay leaf and thyme, then pour in 900ml of hot stock. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for 22 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts to stick or becomes too dry, add a little more stock.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the second tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms over fairly high heat for 6 to 7 minutes: you want them to brown slightly and have their water evaporated. Season lightly with salt and pepper at the end of cooking, then set aside.
• In the same pan, add 20g of butter. Sauté the leek and carrots for 6 to 8 minutes over medium heat, just until softened. Set aside.
• When the grains are starting to soften but are still slightly firm, add the leek and carrots to the pot. Pour in about 200ml of the remaining stock. Continue cooking for 8 minutes, still at a gentle simmer.
• Add the mushrooms. Cook for another 3 minutes, then taste: the grains should be tender, with a slight chew. Adjust the salt and pepper.
• Remove from heat, add the parsley and mix. Let it rest covered for 2 minutes: the texture will set and the dish will become more "bound".

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 410g)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

can Job's tears sometimes be found in organic stores or the "ancient grains" section. If your grains are very dry or large, cooking may take 5 to 10 minutes longer: trust your taste and add a little broth if needed.

💡 Chef's Tips

The really good way to do it: keep a piping hot broth on the side and add it little by little. Job's tears like to simmer gently; if you drown them all at once, the texture becomes less pleasant.

And if you want a more "bistro-style indulgent" result, finish cooking with an extra knob of butter (5 to 10g).

🔄 Variations

• Traditional recipe for Job's tears, more robust: deglaze the mushrooms with 4 cl of dry white wine before setting them aside, then let it reduce for 1 minute.
• Herb option: replace half the parsley with chopped chives for a fresher note.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.