I just finished eating a bowl of this wonderful salad and I am happy to report that it was very good. I mean that. It was simply delightful. Farro is a grain I don’t eat very often, but its simple cooking method, great flavor and pleasing texture are going to put it on my list of favorites. I can purchase this grain rather easily in one of our local stores, so that’s not an issue. It’ll be put in rotation with the bulgar and barley. I really like this stuff.
The Recipe
If you’ve ever tried any of the grain salads that I’ve shared on this blog, you already know the deal. None of them have been tremendously difficult to prepare. In the most basic sense, all it takes is to it cook whatever grain it is you plan on using, whisk up the vinaigrette and prep the other ingredients you plan to mix in. Finally, after you combine everything, you’re ready to eat. Today’s recipe is no different. It follows the instructions I just laid out. And the best part is, there are no curve balls. This is a straightforward recipe to execute.
The best part about this salad, besides the farro, is the vinaigrette. It’s nice and sweet and very plentiful. It soaks right into the grain and other ingredients and makes it very challenging to take just one bite of the final product. The grain has a firm, yet tender texture and the scallions and chives add an element all to their own. With the addition of dried cranberries and shredded carrots, the dish is taken to a new level. It’s really tasty, very filling and I think you’ll love it. It’s actually perfect for guests. They would be impressed.
Ingredients
Serves: 8-10
2 Cups Dry Farro
2 Bunches Scallions
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Carrot, Trimmed and Grated
3 Tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon Pub Style Mustard
1 Bunch Chives, Sliced Thinly
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
4 Ounces Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries or Cherries
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Hannaford for this recipe. We pulled it out of their Fresh magazine. This magazine is very surprising with all of the incredible recipes that we find in it. It’s actually become one of our resources for this website throughout the past year. I look forward to picking up a new copy each month.
Cook the Farro
Cooking farro is like cooking rice, but quicker. To be as accurate as you possibly can be, you should follow the cooking instructions on the back of your own bag. If you don’t have instructions, they’re almost all the same. Basically, for this recipe, bring six cups of water to a boil over high heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of olive oil to the water. When it begins to boil, add the two cups of farro to it as well, cover the pot and turn the heat on your stove top to low. Let the grain cook for 30 minutes.
After the farro is finished cooking, pour the contents of the pot into a colander to drain.
After that, remove it from the colander and spread it out on a large baking sheet to cool. This will let you manage it easier in the salad and will allow any excess moisture to evaporate before mixing it with other ingredients.
Prep & Cook the Scallions
the scallions need to be cut two ways. For the green parts, you can slice them thinly. Once you get to the white parts, remove the rooted ends and cut the remainder in one inch pieces. Yours should look like this.
Once that’s finished, warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is to temperature, add one tablespoon of olive oil to it, along with the white parts of the scallions only. Let them sit in the pan for 30 seconds cooking. Then, give the pan a shake and let them sit again for another two minutes. Once that’s done, add those parts of the scallions to the large baking sheet with the farro on it to cool. The green parts of the scallions should still be in a bowl.
Prep the Carrot & the Chives
Go ahead and grate the carrot and slice the chives.
You can add these ingredients to the bowl with the green scallions in it.
Prepare the Vinaigrette
In a large bowl, add the vinegar, honey, mustard, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Whisk everything together well.
As you can see, I used my gigantic bowl for this. Everything is going to go into this bowl, so the bigger the better.
Combine All Ingredients
Add the cooled farro and the white parts of the scallions to the large bowl with the vinaigrette in it. Also, add the green scallions, carrots, chives, shredded cheddar cheese and the dried cranberries to the large bowl as well. Mix everything thoroughly.
Plate & Serve
You can keep this salad in the large bowl and let others scoop the salad out of it from the table or you can divide it up now between plates.
The Final Farro & Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Salad
I love this salad. I’m totally making this dish again. If you decide to give it a try, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
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