This Winter Farro Salad is full of roasted vegetables and citrus and is dressed with a delicious roasted garlic vinaigrette. This salad is great warm or cold and is perfect for meal prep!
The cold weather is here, so its time for a warm salad recipe. This winter salad is delicious at any temperature and its filled with roasted vegetables and roasted garlic vinaigrette.
Ingredients for Making Winter Farro Salad
Farro: Farro is a variety of wheat. If you can't find farro, this salad would be great with any whole grain like barley, wheat berries or even brown rice! I'll talk a little more about farro below.
Fennel: Fennel is a big bulb vegetable. It has a slightly licorice flavor and becomes soft and sweet when roasted.
Beets: I used red beets, but you can use golden.
Shallot: Roast half of the shallot and whisk the other half into the vinaigrette.
Garlic: I roast 3 un peeled garlic cloves with the vegetables. Mash the soft roasted cloves into the vinaigrette for a ton of flavor in the dressing.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For roasting and for the vinaigrette.
Orange Segments: A little citrus to brighten this winter farro salad. Any orange will work: naval, cara cara or blood orange.
Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette: This vinaigrette is simple but has the most delicious flavor thanks to the roasted garlic.
What is Farro
Farro is a variety of wheat. It has a nutty flavor and a delightful chew that makes it feel really hearty.
Pearled farro is what grocery stores most commonly offer. So, thats what I used In this Winter Farro Salad.
The term "pearled" means that the husk is removed. This does remove some of the nutrients, but it also reduces the cooking time by about half!
Check the package of farro to see if its pearled or not. If your farro is not pearled, adjust the cooking time.
How to Work with Fennel
Fennel looks intimidating. But with a few easy steps, it is ready to roast.
To work with fennel, first, cut the tops off and set them aside.
Then, quarter the bulb and cut the small core out.
Finally, slice the quarters across into ¼ inch pieces. And now its ready to roast for this Winter Farro Salad.
Remove the fronds from the tall shoots and reserve them. The fronds are used as an herb in this farro salad, and they pair so nicely with citrus. They have sweet but light licorice flavor.
With the remaining tall shoots, you can make quick pickles out of them. Just make sure you thinly slice them. The shoots tend to be tough and stringy.
Looking for More Warm Grain Recipes?
Mediterranean Rice Salad by: The Vegan Society
Winter Farro Salad
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Sheet Pan
- 1 2 Quart Sauce Pan
- 1 Serving Bowl
Ingredients
For the Farro
- 1 Cup Farro, Rinsed
- 6 Cups Water
- Pinch Salt
For the Roasted Veg
- 1 Medium Fennel Bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored and sliced about ¼ inch thick Reserve the fronds
- 1 Large Red Beet, peeled, quartered and sliced about ¼ inch thick
- ½ Medium Shallots, sliced about ¼ inch thick save the remaining half for the dressing
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt and Black Pepper
- 3 Small Cloves of garlic, unpeeled
For the Roasted Garlic Dressing
- 3 Cloves Roasted Garlic
- 2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar Or Champagne Vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ Medium Shallot, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Black Pepper
For the Salad
- 1 Medium Orange, peeled, halved and sliced
- ½ Cup Chopped Fennel Fronds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425* F.
For the roasted veg
- Onto one half of a sheet tray, combine fennel and shallot and spread them out into a single later. Onto the other side of the sheet tray, spread the beet slices into a single layer. Drizzle each half with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat, but keep the halves separate. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves onto the sheet tray and place into a 425* oven for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and the garlic cloves are soft.
- Once the veggies are done, set aside the roasted garlic cloves for the dressing and add the veggies to a big bowl with the farro.
To cook the farro
- Meanwhile, combine farro, water and a pinch of salt in a 2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the farro is tender. Drain the excess water, add the farro into a large bowl with the vegetables and set aside.
For the Roasted Garlic Dressing
- Peel the 3 roasted garlic cloves. Mash them well with a fork. Add vinegar, oil, dijon, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Put the Salad Together
- Pour the roasted garlic dressing into the bowl with the farro and vegetables.
- Add the chopped fennel fronds, and sliced orange. Toss to combine and check for seasoning. Add a pinch more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve warm or cold.
Let me know how you like this recipe!
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