Farro Arugula Salad |Cooking With Amanda

I get stuck in food ruts often. My kids will often let me know by exclaiming loudly the number of times we've had some variation of tortillas-meat-cheese-vegetables in the past two weeks (> 5). Ahem. I mean, fajita leftovers become nacho toppings become rice bowl fixings. Rinse and repeat.

A few years ago I got stuck on Caesar salads. We went through months of me perfecting my dressing technique, serving it as the side for nearly every meal or as the meal itself topped with chicken.

Last year it was a red wine vinaigrette that I poured over fresh greens, green beans and tomatoes, made pasta salad from, served over quinoa, and more.

Last month we embraced the rice bowl, eating steaming bowls topped with avocado slices, pickled cabbage, and hot sauce day in and day out until spring arrived with a plethora of new produce and full stop.

There's a new food rut in town, one with bunches of baby greens, fresh herbs, the most perfect tender radishes, and lemon vinaigrette. It's nutty and chewy, vibrant, full of flavor, and it has a bit of bite from the peppery arugula. You can find the leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch, and when they're gone, you bet I'll be stirring up another pot of farro for tonight's dinner.

The key to this salad being quick and easy is using pearled farro, which cooks quicker than its whole grain counterparts. Trader Joe's sells a 10-Minute variety, and many stores carry pearled or perlato farro.

However, if you want that whole grain with all the bran, simply make your farro ahead of time, rinsing it after cooking and spreading it on a baking sheet to dry before transferring it to an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator. Then you can simply pull it out, toss with your dressing and fresh vegetables, and consume.

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Farro Arugula Salad Recipe

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Ingredients

2 cups cooked farro, at room temp
2 cups fresh arugula
3 radishes, thinly sliced
2 shallots, minced
1 medium lemon, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, toss the farro, arugula, radishes, shallots, and the lemon zest.
In a separate container, whisk together the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and the black pepper.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil until combined.
Pour over the grains and greens mixture.
Serve with thick parmesan flakes, if desired.