Lately, I am so weirdly into farro. It’s such an nutty thing to be obsessed with, especially if you’re…me. Now Yodels: there’s an obsession I get…but grains aren’t exactly something I’m used to being all wax-rhapsodic about.
But it’s just so good. And hearty. And mixable-with-things. And cheap!
It takes a lot to separate me from my great love, garlic mashed potatoes, but lately I’ve been serving this farro, mushroom and asparagus salad alongside Stovetop Steaks to much husband-fanfare, and the other night both of us were feeling like we wanted a super-healthy, meatless dinner, so I served big bowls of the stuff solo.
FARRO, MUSHROOM & ASPARAGUS SALAD
What you need:
1 cup farro
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cups mushrooms of choice, washed and sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off (where the asparagus naturally snaps when bent in half separates the delicious part from the tough part)
Olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper
What you do:
1. Put the farro in a pot and cover it with cold water. Bring it to a boil and then cover the pot and turn down the heat. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, checking every so often to see if you need to add more water. (It’s a bit of a dance: you don’t want to end up with watery farro, but if all the water cooks out it’ll dry up and burn the pot, so just add little amounts of water as needed.)
2. Meanwhile, place the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet (on foil, if you like, for easier cleanup). Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400F for a few minutes, or until a fork can easily be inserted into a stalk. Slice the stalks into 1″ pieces.
3. In a saucepan, saute the onions and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Add the garlic a few minutes before you think the onion/mushroom mixture will be done; the garlic should be golden (not brown) when you’re done.
4. When the farro is finished cooking, toss it into a bowl with the cut-up asparagus and onion/mushroom mixture. Add more olive oil, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste.
