Warm Farro Salad
This is one of those dishes that after I made once and the whole fam loved it, I knew I'd be making it over and over again. And I have! It's such a cinch to whip up and eats like comfort food, but is so super healthy. Wham Bam! And I'm especially loving this as a Summery dinner, but it's one of those dishes that you can easily swap ingredients to keep it super seasonal, or just cuz you want to, dammit!
I love Farro. It's an Italian grain, and it has around 7 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein, per serving. Yep, protein people! So when people (everyone) ask you, "Where to you get your protein??", you can say, "From vegetables, you idiot!". Did I just say that out loud? Oops! I meant to say that you can kindly inform them that protein is found in so many Whole Foods, and give Farro as an excellent example. Side note: Did you know that a head of cauliflower has 12 grams of protein?! That's another Wham Bam!!
So basically, farro cooks just like rice, with one part farro/two parts liquid. For the liquid you can use seasoned water, or go all out and throw in veggie stock. I love to do water with plenty of Himalayan salt, a tsp of garlic powder, and a drizz of olive oil. Sometimes different brands of farro can vary in cooking time, but it's basically the same as rice. I like mine to be a tiny bit al dente, not super soft or mushy.
As for the veggies, it's summer and I'm loving using fresh corn, asparagus, tomatoes, and arugula. But hey, farro pairs with pretty much anything, so feel free to use this recipe as a building block or outline to create whatever flavor combo blows your skirt up!
When the veggies are cooked and the farro is mixed in, the dressing is a MUST! It really turns the dial up on the whole thing. I also add fresh herbs, which, c'mon, are just a no brainer! This dressing is also super tasty on a regular ol' salad too!
Warm Farro Salad
Ingredients
1 Cup Farro, rinsed & drained, cooked according to package.
2 Cups fresh corn, cut off the cobb (or one can corn)
2 cups chopped asparagus
1 large clove garlic, chopped or minced
1 1/2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
2 cups arugula
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Tangy Dressing
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp grain mustard (or regular dijon)
1 Tbsp vegan (or regular) mayo
2 tsp honey (optional)
splash of olive oil
plenty of salt
Directions
Cook farro according to directions (can be done ahead of time). In a large skillet or saute pan, over medium/high heat, drizzle with olive oil and add corn, asparagus, and garlic. Season with salt. Saute for about 3-4 mins, or just until veggies begin to soften. Add cooked farro, and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add herbs, arugula, tomatoes, and dressing. Stir to combine and enjoy. That's it!
