Description
This Warm Farro Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing is a vegetarian side dish that packs as much flavor as it does nutrition. Hearty farro is a whole grain with a fantastic chew factor and when combined with veggies, toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs, and a tangy but creamy lemon dressing, it is heaven on earth!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 1/2 cups farro or barley, rinsed well
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 scallions (or 1 small shallot), chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 (12-oz) bag broccoli slaw
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
For the Dressing:
- Juice of 1 lemon (roughly 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon za’atar spice mix
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Rinse and drain the farro and then add it to a saucepan with 3 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
- Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the farro is tender and the water has been absorbed. Drain off any excess water.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts. Shaking the pan frequently and keeping an eye on it (pine nuts can burn quickly), toast the pine nuts until golden and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the olive oil and return it to medium heat. Add the scallions (or shallot) and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and broccoli slaw and toss to combine. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until all the vegetables are tender.
For the Dressing:
In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Season, to taste.
To Assemble:
- Add the farro to the bowl with the lemon dressing and toss to combine while it is still warm. Season, to taste, with additional salt and pepper.
- Stir in the broccoli slaw mixture, along with the parsley, and toss to combine until the greens are slightly wilted.
- Stir in the toasted pine nuts and serve while warm.
Notes
A few handfuls of baby greens, like spinach or arugula, work great in here as well if you want to up the greens quotient. Add them to the farro mixture when you add the broccoli slaw.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: side dishes