Farro with sweet cherries, salty feta, nutty almonds, and a sweet vinaigrette - this farro salad is the perfect summer side dish or light meal.
- 1 cup uncooked farro (semi pearled)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup crushed or sliced almonds
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- 1 large celery stalk, sliced
- 5-6 mint leaves, chopped optional
- 1/2 cup pitted cherries, sliced
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons water
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Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro, and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and let simmer on low/medium heat for 20-25 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Stir with a fork to fluff, and set aside to cool.
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While the farro is simmering, make the dressing. Add the apricot jam, vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, salt and water to a jar with a screw lid. Shake vigorously until all the ingredients are blended.
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Mix the cooled farro with the feta, almonds, peas, celery, and mint, if you are using. Add the cherries and the dressing and mix gently to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
→Get the farro cooking first. While it's simmering, which takes about 20 minutes, you can the rest of the ingredients. Another option is to cook the farro the day before, as I did.
→Substitute dried cherries or dried cranberries if fresh cherries are not available to you.
→Substitute goat cheese for feta if desired
→If you're not a fan of mint, simply omit it from the recipe. You can add a small handful of torn fresh spinach for color if you wish.
→Grains tend to soak up the dressing over time. If you plan to make this well in advance, add just half the dressing, setting aside the other half to add right before serving.