Middle Eastern Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables
An ancient grain farro salad made with nutty einkorn, cumin-spiced roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, almonds, feta and pomegranate, tossed in a sumac dressing. It makes a satisfying lunch salad or side dish!
Course
Salad
Category
Middle Eastern
Prep Time20minutes
Cook Time35minutes
Total Time55minutes
Servings4
Calories592kcal
AutorElle
Ingredients
For the salad:
1cupdry farro piccolo (einkorn) (200 g)
2large carrots,peeled and sliced on an angle (about 1cm thick)
1large parsnips,peeled and cut the same size as carrots
1small head cauliflower,or half a large, cut into florets
30graw almonds,toasted and coarsely chopped (large handful)
100gfeta,crumbled
seeds from half a pomegranate
For the dressing:
4tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
4tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1teaspoonsumac
sea salt,to taste
Method
Cook the einkorn according to the package directions. Place einkorn and 2 cups of water (500 ml) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until water has been absorbed and einkorn is al dente. Drain excess liquid, cover with a lid and set aside. (Note: cooking time can be reduced if the grain is soaked in water overnight).
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F / 200°C (180°C fan-assisted) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add the carrots, parsnips, and cauliflower. Sprinkle with cumin and drizzle the olive oil over top. Toss well until evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, season with salt and spread out in a even layer, without crowding.
Transfer to the preheated oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway through, until edges golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive, oil, lemon juice, sumac, and salt).
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked grain, roasted vegetables, fresh herbs and roasted almonds. Stir in half the pomegranate seeds and most of the feta, leaving a little of each for garnish. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss gently to combine. Serve, garnished with the reserved feta and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
This salad can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
Leftovers keep well, stored in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge. If desired, add an extra squeeze of lemon to revive the dressing flavour after storage.
Almonds can be toasted in a dry skillet or you can do a larger batch in the oven and store them once fully cooled in an air tight container. As a time and effort saver, you can also buy already roasted almonds (organic food stores). Blanched, slivered almonds are also a great choice for this recipe.
This farro salad can be made with Einkorn (Farro Piccolo), Emmer (Farro Medio) (Emmer) or Spelt (Farro Grande). The latter, can also be bought as pearled spelt which is quick cooking and a great choice for salads. Be sure to check which type you have before you start cooking! The cook time will vary depending on the variety of your farro. In Germany, farro piccolo can be found under the name Einkorn and takes about 30 minutes to cook to al dente.