Spring Market Farro Salad
Spring has sprung! Gather your favorite seasonal veggies at your local farmer’s market to create a hearty and healthy salad. The below ingredients are merely a guide. Feel free to grab whatever produce is fresh and looking good. My guide is to include 2 veggies, one type of nut, cheese, plus a bitter green (arugula, kale, collard greens, radish greens, endive, spinach). Another option is to toss leftover grilled veggies with the farro and a protein. Summary is, this salad is really a great recipe to use up whatever you have in your refrigerator or garden.
Enjoy this salad as a side or add grilled chicken for a main dish. It’s the perfect weekend brunch salad and pairs nicely with a crisp glass of rosé.
Takes 35 minutes
Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side
Salad
1 cup dry farro, cooked according to package instructions
3-4 cups packed arugula
1 1/2 cup snap peas, sliced in half in diagonal pieces
1/3 cup thinly sliced spring onion
1/4 cup feta
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1 tsp Desert Provisions Sonoran Sea Salt or Meyer Lemon Salt
Chicken breast, grilled and diced (optional)
Vinaigrette
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp chopped shallot
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp Desert Provisions Sonoran Sea Salt or Meyer Lemon Salt
Juice from 1/4 lemon
Freshly cracked black pepper
Cook farro according to package instructions. When done, add Sonoran Sea Salt. Gently mix and place in refrigerator until cool. While farro is cooking and cooling, prepare the rest of the ingredients: slice peas, onions, and chop pistachios. Place arugula, peas, onion, and feta in a large bowl to keep cool until ready to serve.
If adding chicken, you can grill the chicken while the farro is cooking and cooling. Before grilling, marinate chicken breast in 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, Sonoran Sea Salt, and freshly cracked pepper. (Note: these ingredients are not included in the above.) Grill until done. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then dice. No grill? No problem. You can buy pre-cooked chicken breast from Trader’s Joes or your local grocery.
For vinaigrette, put all the ingredients in a glass bowl or jar and whisk until combined. Refrigerate until ready to toss.
Just before serving, add farro and pistachios to bowl with rest of ingredients and toss with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
Cook's notes: Farro is an ancient grain originally cultivated in the Middle East. It’s healthy, hearty, and and high in protein. Farro is a great base for salads, soups, or as a side dish in place of rice. There are a few different types of farro, but I typically use the Trader Joe’s 10 minute farro since it’s quick and easy. Make this recipe vegan by omitting the feta or use a dairy alternative.
