Warm Farro , Feta and Roasted Chickpea Salad

Warm Farro, Feta and Roasted Chickpea Salad

Farro is a hearty grain high in fiber and a good source of iron and protein, so it’s a perfect base for a healthy salad. Combine chewy farro with roasted chickpeas, salty feta, crunchy carrots, spicy dressing and fresh cilantro for a hearty, healthy and delicious meal. It’s a salad win-win!

Ingredients

    For the farro

  • 1 
    cup farro (Can’t find farro? feel free to substitute wheat berries or rice)
  • ½
    tsp salt

    • For the chickpeas

  • 1
    can chickpeas
  •   
    olive oil
  •   
    salt
  •   
    pepper

    • Spicy Dressing

  • 2
    tbsp fish sauce
  • 3
    tbsp of lime juice
  • 3
    tbsp brown sugar
  • 6
    tbsp water

  • 1

    medium garlic clove, very thinly sliced

  • 1

    Thai chile, very thinly sliced
  •   
    Crumbled feta
  •   
    Sliced carrots
  •   
    Cilantro

Directions

Make the farro

  • 1 Put the farro in a medium (2 ½ - 3 quart) saucepan, add cold water to cover and set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
  • 2 Drain the farro, put back in the saucepan, and add 3 cups of cold water and ½ teaspoon salt.
  • 3 Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until tender but still a little chewy, about 45 minutes.
  • 4 When it’s ready, drain, and either use it while warm, or transfer to a storage container for later use. (You can reheat single servings in the microwave, and any leftover farro can be stored in Ziploc®  containers in the fridge for a few days)

Roast the chickpeas

  • 1 Preheat oven to 400°
  • 2 Drain and rinse chickpeas
  • 3 Toss chickpeas in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper 
  • 4 Roast until golden brown and crunchy, approximately 30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

Make the dressing

  • 1 In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of water, the garlic, and chile. Whisk well. Taste. If it’s too pungent or thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. (Covered and chilled, the dressing will keep for up to a week in a Ziploc® container.)

Assemble the salad

  • 1 Scoop out a couple of large spoonfuls of farro in a wide bowl (warm it a bit in the microwave if it’s not warm already.) Add a large spoonful of chickpeas, and about half of a carrot, sliced. Then top with a generous amount of feta, and some cilantro. Drizzle dressing to taste. Toss and enjoy.

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