Asparagus Farro Salad Recipes

FARRO SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Soak farro in a large bowl of water for at least 12 hours. Drain.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the drained farro, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, then cook the farro uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue simmering until tender, about 30 more minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus, and cook uncovered until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the asparagus is cold, drain well, and chop. Set aside.
• Place farro, asparagus, tomatoes, walnuts, cranberries, parsley, and chives in a large bowl. Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over and sprinkle about 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese, then toss. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Serve at room temperature.

FARRO WITH VIDALIA ONION AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.
• While the onions cook, add the farro to the boiling water along with 1 teaspoon salt. Boil until tender but still very toothsome, about 20 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes; drain well.
• Add the farro and asparagus to the caramelized onions along with the parsley, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

ASPARAGUS FARRO SALAD

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 4 cups water to boiling. Stir in farro; return to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, leaving heads full. In 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add asparagus and shallot; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired doneness (some like asparagus more tender, while others prefer a little fresh crunch). Remove asparagus from skillet to plate; set aside.
• Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the lemon peel and lemon juice to skillet. Heat over low heat, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Stir in salt and pepper. Set sauce aside.
• Drain cooked faro in strainer or colander; rinse. In large serving bowl, toss faro with asparagus, pecans and feta cheese. Drizzle sauce over top.

FARRO SALAD WITH PEAS, ASPARAGUS, AND FETA

Steps:

• Cook farro in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl.
• Meanwhile, cook asparagus and sugar snap peas in another saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Add to farro with tomatoes, onion, and dill. Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add dressing and feta to salad; toss to coat and serve.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND FARRO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to high. In a large bowl, toss together almonds, lemon zest, dill, and scallions; set aside.
• Drizzle asparagus lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper; grill, turning once, until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Transfer asparagus to a cutting board and let cool slightly, then chop into bite-size pieces. Add to bowl with almond mixture along with farro, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and adjust with more lemon juice if desired; fold in feta and serve.

FARRO SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, TOMATOES AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Spread the farro out onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until it smells nutty, about 7 minutes. Add the toasted farro to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and toss with the raisins, lemon zest and juice in a large serving bowl.
• Toss the asparagus with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove the asparagus from the oven and add the tomatoes to the baking sheet. Return to the oven and roast until the tomatoes begin to blister, about 3 minutes more.
• Toss the roasted asparagus and tomatoes with the farro along with the parsley. Top with the ricotta salata and serve.