Stay Connected with Fine Cooking
  • Facebook
  • Path
  • Twitter
previous
  • How to Roll a Roulade Cake
    How to Roll a Roulade Cake
  • Ingenious Kitchen Tips
    Ingenious Kitchen Tips
  • Recipes Dads Love
    Recipes Dads Love
  • Strawberry Mojito
    Strawberry Mojito
  • Win Steven Raichlen’s Must-Have Grilling Tools
    Win Steven Raichlen’s Must-Have Grilling Tools
  • 10-Minute Strawberry Recipes
    10-Minute Strawberry Recipes
  • Quiche Recipe: Create Your Own
    Quiche Recipe: Create Your Own
  • Tour Steven Raichlen's Kitchens
    Tour Steven Raichlen's Kitchens
  • How to Make Chocolate Soufflés
    How to Make Chocolate Soufflés
  • How to Make Barbecued Chicken
    How to Make Barbecued Chicken
next

Farro Salad with Artichokes and Fennel

Radicchio, fennel, cannellini beans, pine nuts, and artichoke hearts give this grain salad an Italian accent, and make it hearty enough to be a meatless main dish. It packs well, making it ideal for picnics or weekday lunches. Serves 8 to 10 as a side

3 cups semi-pearled farro
Kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped black olives
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup oil-packed artichoke hearts
1 cup diced fennel (1/2-inch dice)
1 cup shredded radicchio
1 cup cooked cannellini beans
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Rinse the farro under cold water and drain. Bring 7 cups of water to a boil in a 4-quart pot over high heat. Add 3/4 tsp. salt. Add the farro, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more boiling water as necessary to keep the farro covered, until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Drain and rinse the farro with cold water to stop the cooking.

Transfer the farro to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, and toss lightly to coat. Spread the farro on the baking sheet and cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Put the vinegar in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Whisk in the lemon zest and black olives Taste and season with salt, pepper, and additional vinegar or olive oil as needed.

Put the cooked and cooled farro in a large serving bowl and toss to break up any clumps. Add the artichokes, fennel, radicchio, cannellini, pine nuts, basil, and 1/2 cup vinaigrette and toss. Taste and season as needed with more vinaigrette, salt, and pepper. Serve or refrigerate for up to 1 day. If making ahead, let sit at room temperature so it’s not refrigerator-cold and season with more vinaigrette, salt, and pepper before serving.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 390; Fat (g): 21; Fat Calories (kcal): 190; Saturated Fat (g): 2.5; Protein (g): 11; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 12; Carbohydrates (g): 45; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 5; Sodium (mg): 380; Cholesterol (mg): 0; Fiber (g): 8;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 117 , pp. 50-55
May 3, 2012


user reviews

Star Star Star Star Star An easy, make-ahead dish that's interesting and complex. The only farro I could find was regular, not semi-pearled, so I cooked it for an hour. And the artichoke hearts I used were marinated (though oil-packed are available from Amazon.com). I took this salad to share with classmates in my memoir-writing class, and several people asked for the recipe, but I think a smaller portion of farro would have been better. I'll definitely make this side dish again, next time there's a potluck, but I think I'll use only two cups of farro instead of three. This dish easily serves 20.
Star Star Star Star Star This salad was a wonderful addition to an end-of-summer barbecue. The only caveat is that the recipe makes a ton! I was planning for about 15 people, so I increased the recipe by about 1/3, and probably ended up with enough for about 25. Fortunately, it was so good that one guest took a bowlful home to serve at a family gathering, and I brought another container to a potluck meeting the next day.