Whether you are entertaining for a crowd or your immediate crew, quick and easy grain salads should definitely be on the menu. They are great to have in the fridge for easy lunches, picnics, or pool side bites. The crunchy and salty flavor profile of a Greek salad is typically a crowd pleaser. To add some nutritional milage to this crunch fest, incorporate protein from fiber-filled chickpeas, and hearty whole grain farro. If you opt to make this in advance and enjoy at a later point in time, combine all the ingredients except the romaine. When you are ready to eat, top your grain mixture with chopped romaine and toss with your dressing. For those of you who are gluten-free, whole grain sorghum is a good alternative to farro.
greek grain salad
serves 4- 6
ingredients
1 cup farro
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 head romaine, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 lb Persian cucumbers, coarsely chopped
2 roasted red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1 pt cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup dill, coarsely chopped
1 bunch of radishes, thinly sliced. I used the mandolin, but it can be done by hand
1 avocado, cubed
4 scallions, chopped
4 ounces of feta, crumbled
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp za'atar
3 tbsps olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
method
Rinse and drain farro. Place in a pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste farro for doneness. Farro should be slightly chewy, similar to al dente pasta. Drain off any excess water and set aside.
Whisk oil, za'atar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl or place into a mason jar and shake.
In a large bowl, combine the romaine, chickpeas, farro, cucumbers, red bell peppers, olives, tomatoes, red onion, radish, scallions, and half of the feta, avocado, and dill. Pour dressing over salad, toss to coat. Scatter the remaining feta, dill, and avocado over the top and serve.
