Autumn Farro Salad
Serves 4
With its pleasant, chewy texture and great flavor that is a cross between wheat and barley, farro is a perfect grain to use as a base for fabulous hearty salads. This salad is one of my favorite lunches but it could just as easily be served at dinner with baked butternut or acorn squash and whole grain bread.
- 1 cup farro, semi-pearled (or 3 cups cooked farro)
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or add 1teaspoon fresh thyme when combining salad ingredients
- juice (1/3–1/2 cup) and freshly grated peel (1 TB) from 1 organic orange
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked great northern beans or kidney beans
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
- 4 cups baby arugula (loosely packed in measuring cup)
- 1/2 bunch kale, stripped of stems, chopped, and steamed (about 2 cups cooked)
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1/2 cup roasted pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon or to taste finishing salt (optional)
Rinse farro and combine with water (and salt, if using) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until tender and slightly chewy. When farro is done, drain if necessary.
In the meantime, steam kale by adding about 1 inch of water in large pot, cover, bring to a boil and add chopped kale. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and steam for about 6-10 minutes or until tender. Remove cooked kale and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cooked farro with remaining ingredients. Cover, place in refrigerator and for ultimate flavor, allow flavors to marry for a minimum of 4 hours, up to 12 hours before serving.