This Summer Farro Salad was simply inspired by the season and all the summer fruit popping up in the markets. The farro combined with the salty feta, peppery arugula, sweet summer strawberries and nectarines, and tangy, rich vinaigrette hits all my flavor notes.
WHAT IS FARRO?
Farro is a hearty wheat grain with a nutty flavor. It’s an excellent change-up for recipes with brown rice or quinoa: stews, casseroles, and salads.
SUMMER FRUIT
It’s starting to feel like summer which means an abundance of some of my favorite fruits! All the berries plus peaches and nectarines and plums and apricots and pluots…oh my! Can’t wait!
I love this time of year because dinners can come together in minutes. Just throw all of your farmer’s market haul goodies into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and call it a salad. Done!
For this summer salad, I took the dressing just a little further by pureeing a handful of strawberries with some good balsamic. Then I added olive oil and freshly ground salt & pepper. YUM!
This salad is the type of light refreshing dish I can eat over and over again. And it’s so versatile. Add in any summer fruit that you like! And feel free to change up the greens! It’s a great meal or side-dish for a Memorial Day BBQ.
Hope you enjoy and happy weekend everyone!
- For the salad: 1 cup farro
- 1 cup of baby arugula
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 2 nectarines (white or yellow), chopped into chunks and/or slices
- ½ cup of cubed or crumbled feta
- For the dressing: 1 cup of strawberries
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- Freshly ground salt & pepper
- In a large pot, heat 4 quarts (16 cups) of water and a tablespoon of salt to boiling.
- Add 1 cup of farro, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
- While the farro is cooking, create the vinaigrette. In a blender, combine the 1 cup of strawberries with the balsamic vinegar. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and drizzle ½ cup of olive oil while whisking. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper.
- Once the farro has cooled, add the arugula and about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette at a time and taste as you go. Everyone has a different preference to the amount of dressing they like. I usually put a total of ½ cup for this recipe. Toss the farro and arugula with the dressing.
- Add the strawberries, nectarines, and feta. Gently toss and it's ready to serve!
Looks scrumptious!
Can’t wait to try!