Farro….wonderful, versatile, nutty and satisfying this grain in one of my favorites! This particular salad is just a starting point for ideas. You can add prosciutto or seared pancetta, use a different cheese either feta or parmesan. For this recipe I used haricot vert, the small French green beans, but you could use broccolini, asparagus or sugar snap peas.
ingredients
- 2 c cooked Farro
- 1/4 c sliced Kalamata Olives
- 1/4 c diced Fennel
- 5 ounces Haricot Vert (Green Beans)
- 1/2 c grated Machego cheese
- 1/4 c toasted pine nuts
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 2 sprigs of Thyme
- 1/4 c chopped fresh Parsley
- 1/4 c chopped Arugula (optional)
- 1 clove garlic minced or grates
- 1 t Sun Dried Tomato Sous Salt (or Chipotle, Grey & Herb)
- 1/4 c diced red onion (pickled or fresh)
- 1/4 c roasted small tomatoes (recipe is https://soussalt.com/oven-roasted-tomato-gems/)
directions
In a medium sauce drizzle 1 T of olive oil and add 1 c of dried Farro. Toast the Farro in the oil just until it turns a light brown, apx 2 minutes. Then add 4 c of water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook the Farro over medium heat until al dente, apx 15 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the Farro and let it sit for 5 minutes.
In a saucepan boil and salt water to blanch the beans just until tender, apx 3 minutes. Then put them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain them and pat them dry with a paper towel. Slice them in small pieces.
In a large bowl add the lemon juice, lemon zest, clove of garlic minced, Sous Salt & pepper, whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Add the drained Farro to the dressing and toss. Then add the remaining ingredients, pine nuts, roasted tomatoes, haricot vert, cheese, thyme leaves, Kalamata olives, fennel, parsley and/or arugula and red onion. Taste and season accordingly.
Please take the liberty to add more or less of any ingredient. This is your salad I just gave you the blue print!