I’m always looking for fun ways to use grains in my meals. I am a total carb fiend. Definitely not the best for me, but I love them and can’t stay away.
I try to get whole grains in to my meals as much as possible. One of my favorite grains is farro. Farro is a variety of wheat and can be cooked in a multitude of ways, with several delicious outcomes. Around the High Holidays, I cooked up a creamy risotto style farro, which was amazing. More recently, I decided to go with a simpler approach. I wanted a dish that would taste great – both as a room temperature salad and also when served warm, fresh from the stove. This farro dish fits that need.
Farro Salad with Carrots, Mushrooms and Wilted Spinach
Ingredients:
1 cup farro
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 cup shredded carrots
5 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1.5 cups baby spinach
additional salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place the farro in a pot over medium-high heat. Pour in the vegetable broth. Let the mixture come to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pot. Check on the farro every few minutes and stir a little. Once all of the liquid has evaporated, fluff the farro with a fork and remove from the heat. Set aside.
Heat up the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add in the shallots, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for a few minutes until softened. Add in the carrots and the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. Do not overcook. You want the veggies to have a bit of a bite left. Once the mushrooms are slightly cooked, turn off the heat.
Stir in the baby spinach and let it wilt a bit. Take a bite. Add in additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Mix in the already cooked farro.
Serve warm or cool down and serve room temperature. It’s excellent either way.
Enjoy!
About Hindy Garfinkel
