Farro Salad (Insalata di Farro)
I think farro is one of my favorite grains, yes you heard me quinoa. It’s a healthy source of carbohydrates, helps to promote digestion health, and has a wonderful nutty flavor. And unlike tiny quinoa that can become mush in seconds, farro can pretty much never overcook.
Today, I’m going to be turning farro into a wonderful salad loaded with tons of delicious things like zucchini, caramelized red onion, tomatoes, mozzarella, and a good drizzle of olive oil. I learned how to make this salad in Italy, so I am very excited to share it with you.
Now, this version of the salad is what I was shown, but you can change it up and use whatever vegetables and ingredients you like! Peppers, carrots, mushrooms, your favorite cheeses, pickled peppers, could even throw some deli meats like salami or prosciutto, and you can use different grains like pearled barley or bulgar.
Serves 4
3/4 cup farro
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rings
1 large celery stick, diced
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 garlic clove, grated
1 sprig of fresh basil, leaves removed and thinly sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella balls (or a larger mozzarella ball cut into small pieces)
Boil the farro in salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain, then set aside to cool.
While the farro cooks, heat a wide frying pan with a thin layer of oil until the oil starts shimmering. Add the zucchini, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook over medium until lightly browned on both sides, should take about 4-5 minutes per side. Take the zucchini out of the pan and set aside to cool.
Repeat this with the onion slices, cook them in the pan with some more oil and a bit of seasoning until lightly browned but certainly not burnt. Set aside to cool.
When the zucchini and onions are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
(Cooking the veggies before chopping will ensure they don’t get too soft, especially the zucchini.)
Once the farro is cooled but still slightly warm, toss with the zucchini, onions, celery, tomatoes, garlic, basil, parsley, and enough olive oil to coat. Taste and season the salad with salt and pepper, then move to the fridge and let it chill for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
About 10 minutes before serving, take the salad out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Toss in the almonds and mozzarella, then serve.
(If we added the mozzarella before chilling, the acidity of the tomatoes would cause the fresh mozzarella to break down too much)
