For November, I prepared Hearty Farro Salad.
Farro refers to the grains of three species of hulled wheat, emmer wheat, spelt, and einkorn. Hulled wheat is wheat that can’t be threshed. Emmer wheat is often referred to as “true farro,” because it is considered to be of higher quality for cooking purposes. It’s the most common variety of farro grown in Italy.
Farro is sold dried, and it is cooked in water until it becomes soft. It can be eaten plain or added to salads, soups, and other dishes.
If you or a family member have a gluten allergy or sensitivity, you can substitute quinoa or rice for the farro in this recipe.
Here is the link to the recipe and instructions, https://www.acouplecooks.com/farro-salad/
This recipe is simple, easy to prepare, and delicious! You can prepare the other ingredients while the farro is cooking. When the farro is cooked, pour off any extra liquid, pour the farro onto a metal baking dish and place in the freezer for three minutes per recipe instructions. It cools the farro, so it will not wilt or partially cook the other ingredients. I couldn’t find baby arugula, so I substituted baby spinach. It worked well. The only other changes I made to the recipe were omitting the cheese, and adding some parsley and freshly ground black pepper to the dressing and the dish itself.
It can be eaten as a side dish or a meal. I did both. As a side dish, I paired it with a plant-based chicken patty and some mandarin orange slices. It was delicious. You could easily pair it with chicken or fish because of the dressing’s lemony flavor.
One of the perils of plant-based cooking is throwing vegetables into a salad and calling it a meal when you’re in a rush or don’t feel like cooking. This recipe for Hearty Farro salad is a great one to have in your arsenal for just those times because a quarter cup of uncooked farro contains 6.5 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, 0.8 grams of fat, 30.5 net carbs, and between 150-165 calories. It’s also high in iron and calcium and an excellent source of A, C, E, and B vitamins. Adding farro to salads is a great way to up the nutrition in your meals.
This recipe looks and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but it took me under 45 minutes to gather my ingredients, prepare the salad, clean up, and plate the dish. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Our December salad will be Vegan Soba Noodle Salad..
The Twelve Months of Salads - 2023
January – Celery Salad with Apples
February - Strawberry Avocado Salad
March – Spring Pea, Asparagus and Mint Salad
April - Spring Salad with Edamame, Cucumbers. Snow Peas and Tofu Croutons
May – Southwestern Bean Salad
June – Salad Niçoise
July – Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
August – Italian Pasta Salad
September – Chicken Garden Salad with ranch dressing
October – Kale, Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
November – Hearty Farro Salad
December – Vegan Soba Noodle Salad