Farro Your Heart… Salad!

RECIPE

This delicious colorful salad includes savory low lights, spicy highlights and pops of fruity flavor. Oh and you don’t get me started on the delightful CRUNCH!

Oh yeah, it also happens to be heart healthy, brain healthy and cancer fighting! POW!

What Is Farro?

Farro is an ancient grain, commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine, that is nutty, chewy and totally delicious!

Farro is a great source of fiber, iron, protein and magnesium.

You can buy various versions of farro. Pearled cooks the fastest.

This is a great fall recipe to share. You can toss it all together, but I recommend assembling the salad fresh for each meal or plate. That way the arugula will not wilt. Your unassembled salad bar will last in the fridge for up to a week.

Ingredients

Serves 4 ~ approx 60 mins prep time

• 1 cup pearled farro – cooked and cooled

• ½ cup butternut squash – diced and sauteed

• 2 medium sized or 4 small, cooked beets, cut into bite-sized chunks (I use a precooked package)

• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

• 1 can cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 8 cups arugula or spinach

• 1 apple, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to preserve the color

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

• ¼ cup dried cranberries

Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or apple juice

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• 2 tablespoon minced chives

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1.    Prepare the farro: Rinse and drain farro with cold water through a fine mesh sieve.

Then cook according to package instructions with pinch of salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of olive oil, drain, and cool.

-          Note: typically ½ cup of dry farro yields 1 cup).

-          Use 1 cup or so of water (or broth).

2.    While the farro cooks, sauté the butternut squash for 5 - 7 minutes in a tablespoon of olive oil, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let cool.

3.   While the farro cools, make the vinaigrette: Place olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, chives, thyme, salt and black pepper into a small jar, cover and shake to combine.

4.   While the farro cools, pour ¼ cup of the dressing over the diced beets and allow to marinate.

5.   While the farro cools, In a small bowl sprinkle the garbanzo beans with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

6.   After the farro cools, toss all ingredients together. Dress to your taste.

Be ready to farro in love! Hee hee hee!