Oh man I just love when food thoughts in my head turn out to be as delicious as I thought they would be. On Monday Anne and I had a little throwdown at work to see who could make the best dish that had spring vegetables in it. We each make a different dish with a specific theme, like Spring vegetables, and then have people vote on the "better" dish. I decided that asparagus was going to be my secret weapon because how can you go wrong with asparagus in spring? Also I have been on a huge farro and feta kick so I knew those things needed to be in it. I then knew I needed a little color to spruce up the dish so some grape tomatoes made the cut and then all I had to figure out was some kind of dressing or flavor to add to the salad. Since I use balsamic dressing to marinade vegetables for grilling a lot I decided that would be the perfect pair.
Look how lovely it turned out. It would be delicious with a burger or chicken or even hearty enough and fancy enough to pair with a steak or pork chops.
I know I say this often but this recipe is so simple. It has 6 ingredients in it and 1 of those is water.
So first I start with cooking the farro. All you have to do is add the farro and water together in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 25- 30 minutes until farro is tender. Drain off any excess water.
Farro has the same consisitency of barley so it is a little chewy. If you haven't tried farro, do yourself a favor and try it. If you need a gluten free option quinoa or wild rice would work well as a substitution.
So while the farro is cooking you will have time to cut the asparagus, which I just use a bunch of asparagus which is around a pound. First thing is preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and then cut off the tough ends of the asparagus.
Next cut the asparagus into about 1 to 1 1/2 inch bite size pieces.
Add the asparagus to a medium bowl and add in a 1/4 c. of balsamic dressing and mix until combined. Lay it out on a sheet tray that has either been lined with foil or spray with oil. Bake the asparagus for about 10-13 minutes until the asparagus is tender but still crisp.
**Note: I usually cook mine for about 8-10 minutes because I like the extra crunch, but cook to your liking.**
While your farro and asparagus are cooking you can cut up your pint of tomatoes which will give you roughly 2 heaping cups of tomatoes.
Doesn't the bright colorful and fresh tomatoes just want to make you eat healthier?
When the farro is done cooking, add the halved tomatoes, and balsamic dressing and mix.
And when the asparagus comes out of the oven it should be nice and bright green, tender but still crisp.
Pour the asparagus into the bowl with the farro and tomatoes, and even get what dressing is left on the pan. Mix until all is incorporated and pour into a serving bowl of your choice.
Top with feta cheese and you have a wonderful looking spring salad.
*Recipe Note: You can serve this salad warm or cold and it's good either way. If you do serve this salad cold you will want to add another 1/4 c. of balsamic dressing to the salad before serving because the farro soaks up the dressing. Just remember to taste the salad before serving and add salt and cracked black pepper to your liking*
Happy Cooking!
Farro,
Asparagus, and Tomato Salad
¾ c. farro 1
pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 c. water ¼
c. crumbled feta cheese
1 lb. fresh
asparagus, cut in 1 in. pcs. Salt
and pepper, to taste
½ c. balsamic
dressing, divided
In a medium saucepan add
the farro, water, and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce to medium low heat, and simmer until farro is tender, about 30
minutes. Drain off any excess water and
set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl add the asparagus and ¼ c.
of balsamic dressing and mix until combined.
Lay out the asparagus onto a sprayed sheet tray and roast for 10-13
minutes, until tender but still crisp.
Add the farro, roasted asparagus, tomatoes, and remaining ¼ c. of
balsamic dressing and mix until all incorporated. Top with feta cheese add salt and pepper to
taste. Salad can be served warm or cold.
-Cool
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