Monday, August 19, 2013

Farro Salad


I recently tasted a delicious salad that included rice, an addition to salad that sounded new and exciting. While the rice was a great addition, I thought farro would have been even more exciting. Farro is a special grain that's similar to wheat in taste, similar to rice in shape, and similar to barley in texture. What it has in common with all those other grains is deliciousness. I made this salad with a mixture of greens, because that's what I had on hand, but I think it would be equally excellent with greens that pack a flavor punch, like arugula or baby kale.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked farro or rice
4 cups salad greens, mixed, arugula, or baby kale
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries (like Craisins)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup lemon honey salad dressing

Directions: Cook farro or rice according to package directions, then allow to cool. Mix the grain with the salad green, pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese. Add the salad dressing, toss to mix, and serve.


Serves 4 as a side salad, or 2 as a main course

Stealthy Cooking Tip: One of the biggest problems with farro, for me, is planning far enough ahead to have it ready. Traditional farro needs an 8 to 12 hour soaking before cooking for an hour, and it never seems that I can be that organized! BUT, I just found 10 minute farro at Trader Joe's. It's been soaked, then parboiled, and only needs a quick 10 minutes until it's ready. Now, I can have farro more often.

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