The Farro Salad.

The quest to find a perfect salad has been quite a challenge. I am a big lover of a salad, but sometimes it is just not satisfying! The lovely full feeling you get from other meals (ie. carbs!) can sometimes be lacking after a salad... which inevitably leaves you nibbling for hours after. Having consumed a significant number of salads I have come to the conclusion that the answer lies with pulses. The addition of pulses are a lot cheaper, than say meat or nuts, and go much further. I used farro (an Italian pulse) in this salad, but pearl barely will do just as well. With the addition of roasted veg (of your choice)the salad is transformed into a dish which is both flavoursome and filling. This salad keeps well in the fridge and makes a delicious lunch the next day, so it's kind on your pocket! What fun! 

Ingredients: 

serves 4 

200g farro/ bulgar wheat 

1 small green courgette cut into half moon slices 

1 small yellow courgette cut into half moon slices 

1 medium onion quartered 

5 garlic cloves crushed but left whole 

1 red pepper cut into cubes 

3 small carrots cutter into quarters 

2 small beetroot left whole for roasting 

1 celery stick cut into small chunks 

4 small tomatoes halved 

 juice of half a lemon

 a handful fresh mint/ parsley roughly chopped 

white wine vinegar 

olive oil 

salt & pepper  

Method: 

1. Firstly pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Then soak the farro in cold water for around 20 minutes. 

2. While its soaking, place all the veg on a baking tray with the garlic, apart from the beetroot. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. I like to add a few chilli flakes- but that's completely optional. Place the beetroot in tin foil parcels with a pinch of salt and pepper and place in the oven along with the veg. 

3. After the farro has finished soaking, drain the water and place on a medium heat in a sauce pan with twice as much fresh water. Cook for around 20mins until soft. The farro should have a slight bite in the middle. 

3. Once the veg has finished roasting, remove from the oven and drizzle with white wine vinegar. Drain any excess water from the farro and place in a large bowl along with the veg. Gently mix. Finally scatter the fresh herbs on top, together with a squeeze of lemon juice. Then it's ready to serve. Simples.