I love anything with farro in it—it has that chewy, nutty texture that makes a salad so much richer. This one takes its cue from the farro salad at New York’s Charlie Bird, made even more famous by Ina Garten. The little trick in this recipe is cooking the farro in apple cider—it gives the grains a subtle sweetness that works so well with lemon, herbs, parmesan, and pistachios. I’ve made the recipe over and over, and it’s just as good the next day, too.
Fall Farro Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearled farro, 6 ounces
- ¾ cup fresh apple cider
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup roasted, salted pistachios, whole or chopped
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved through the stem
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced radishes
- 2 cups baby arugula, or more to taste
- ½ cup Italian Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
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Place the farro, apple cider, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the farro is tender and liquid evaporates. If all the liquid evaporates before the farro is done, add a little more water. Let farro cool, then discard the bay leaves.
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Meanwhile, in a small measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the warm farro and set aside for at least 15 minutes to cool.
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Before serving, stir in the pistachios, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and radishes. Add the arugula and lightly fold in the parmesan so as not to break it up too much. You can add as much or as little arugula as you like, whether you want this to be more of a side or more of a salad. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste, and serve immediately.
If you’re in the mood for more fall flavors, try my Harvest Fall Honeycrisp Salad next. It’s loaded with texture and is another one of my favorites.
Bon Appétit!
xx—BB
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