Ancient Farro Mediterranean Salad
Recently I've been experimenting with Farro - an ancient grain that's been cultivated by Italians for centuries and even found in the tombs of Egyptian Kings.
I'm quite taken by this nutritious and versatile alternative to rice and quinoa. It's delicious and has a unique chewy texture and nutty flavor. I'm told you should buy the 'pearled' variety rather than the whole grain if you want to avoid soaking overnight (I used Bob's Red Mill organic).
If you are looking for a tasty summer salad that's a little different, is quick to prepare and delicious, this recipe combines the ancient Farro grain with roasted vegetables, fresh herbs and feta.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of Pearled Farro
3 or 4 Shallots
2 x Zucchinis, sliced
1 x Red Pepper, roughly diced
1 x tub of cherry tomatoes
2 x cloves of garlic crushed
2 x tabs Olive oil
1 x tsp sea salt
1 x tsp cracked pepper
Fresh Arugula (about 4 to 6 oz)
Flat leaf parsley, chopped
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Squeezed Lemon
METHOD
Pre-heat your oven to 350deg, then bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large stock pot with a teaspoon of salt.
While the water is coming to the boil, begin preparing your vegetables. Then add the shallots, zucchini, red pepper, cherry tomatoes and garlic to a large roasting tray and toss with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper until fully coated.
Place in the oven and roast until tender for around 30 minutes.
Once your veggies are in the oven, add the Farro to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium, leave uncovered and cook for approx 30 mins until soft.
When the farrow is cooked, remove from the stove and drain.
Place a few handfuls of fresh Arugula in the base of your serving dish and top with the farro. Add the roasted vegetables from the pan then toss together
Top with chopped fresh parsley, crumbled goats feta and a good squeeze of lemon and serve warm or allow to cool - it's lovely the next day as a leftover.
Note: In this reels video I also added a jar of cannellini beans. You could also serve with hot smoked salmon, cooked chicken breasts or any other protein of choice.