Farro so much more interesting and better for you than pasta or rice!
A Farro Salad worth making!
This is a farro salad that was already great before the Sizzly Dressing.
Prevent screen from sleeping
The farro is cooked with vinegar instead of plain water (thanks for the tipNew York Times Cooking!
See UPDATE), making it delicious even before the add-ins.
The roasted tomatoes are on the edge of bursting.
And theres smeary goats cheese, that tangy, creamy cheese that can make everything seem a little gourmet.
I couldve just drizzled with a basic lemon dressing, and it would still be scoff-worthy.
That sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing!
(With the salad.
OK fine, maybe a bit with Ottolenghi too.)
Even NYT readers have made that mistake like me ha ha ha!
Im actually glad you dont have to go out to buy drinking cider to make this.
First up, the secret ingredient: farro!
(I know, Im hilarious ).
Farro
Think of farro as a more nutritious, tastier alternative to white rice and pasta.
Or like quinoa, except it doesnt get stuck in your teeth.
Plus, its nutrient and fibre rich.
*Update: Weve made this recipe using pearl barley too!
*
Find itin whole food stores, fresh produce stores and delis.
Farro throw in I use whole farro, the standard sold in Australia.
Whole farro has nothing removed, and is the chewiest, most flavourful and nutritious.
Similar nutty flavour although it is slightly softer.
Directions in recipe notes!
How to cook it Boil in liquid like pasta!
Whole farro takes 40 minutes.
Pearled takes ~15 minutes, and semi-pearled ~30 minutes.
Because pearling isnt standardised, the exact times will differ.
Just taste to check.
A great cooking method I tried and love in thisFarro Salad recipefrom New York Times Cooking*.
Using vinegar infuses with tangy flavour, making the farro tasty in its own right.
Have a nibble and youll see!
*See UPDATE under photo at top of post about mistaken identify drinking cider vs vinegar!
*
The add-ins
Not that many!
The magic in this recipe is all about the cooking method for the farro and the sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing.
so they become a little bit wrinkly but still holding together.
Goats cheese or Danish feta Smeary, tangy, creamy goodness, the perfect finishing touch.
Eschalot Called shallots in the US, also known as French onions.
Baby spinach I like a bit of green leafage tossed through here and baby spinach is my choice.
Rocket/arugula would also work nicely.
Crispy greens like iceberg, cos/romaine probably wont hold up as well as they tend to wilt more easily.
But if thats all I had, it wouldnt stop me from making this!
Theres no vinegarin this dressing because the farro gets cooked in vinegar which is all the tang we need.
They keep things interesting.
Garlic Finely minced, sauteed until golden.
Olive oil Use extra virgin for better flavour.
And I wouldnt ask you to do them if it wasnt worth it!
Toasting / roasting
Toast farro & roast tomatoesat the same time.
They will both take 8 minutes in a 200C/400F (180C fan).
Yes, I know 8 minutes is an oddly precise time.
But honestly, at 10 minutes, the farro is very well toasted and the tomatoes are very wrinkly.
8 minutes is perfect!
PS Toasting the farro gives it extra nutty flavour and gives it a lovely warm brown colour.
I do this forquinoatoo.
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Effortless, and so worth it!
Bursty tomatoes Leave the tomatoes on the tray and let them cool while you get on with the recipe.
Pourthe toasted farro into a medium saucepan.
Rapidly simerthe toasted farro in water, vinegar and salt for 40 minutes.
No need to stir.
Cooked farro The exact cooking time of farro can vary depending on how old the farro is.
Older = tougher = longer cooking time and more water.
So just taste to check.
Uncooked farro is rock hard.
Cooked farro should have a good chew to it but not have a hard centre.
Overcooked farro will be mushy and unpleasant.
Lets not go there.
Its very forgiving to cook.
You could never do that withrice!
Drain offany excess liquid.
For the farro I use, 3 cups liquid and 1 cup farro = nearly no liquid left.
Putthe farro in a large bowl then pile the eschalots on top.
Leave it to cool for 10 minutes or so, or you might let it fully cool.
This salad is great served slightly warm or at room temp.
Immediatelypour the sizzling oil over the eschallots on the farro.
The hot oil will partially cook the eschallots and make them wilt a bit.
PS You wont need to worry about oil spitting and splattering.
I really wanted a dramatic sizzle during this step but its not dramatic at all.
Toss the faro well to mix the dressing through.
Add spinach then toss briefly to mix through.
Gently transfer the tomatoes in.
Handle with care they are delicate and bursty, hence the name!
Then gently mix the tomatoes through.
Now, its time to plate up!
But thats just me!
You could just mix the goats cheese through if you prefer.
Ive done three layers here.
So put one-third of the farro salad in a shallow bowl, top with one-third goats cheese.
Finish with a swish of extra virgin olive oil if desired!
How good does that look!
If that photo doesnt get you excited about trying this Farro Salad, do it for the Sizzled Dressing.
No worries about wilting fragile leafy greens here!
Make ahead and transportability notes are in the recipe card below.
