Creamy Italian Farro Salad

Topping our Taylor Farms Creamy Italian Chopped Salad with chickpeas and farro adds delightful texture and a boost of protein and fiber. These two power-packed toppings give an extra 9 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber, bringing your totals to 14 and 11 (respectively). That’s not bad! You can serve this well-balanced salad with sauteed fish, grilled scallops, or on its own as a meat-free meal. This recipe will keep you feeling full and satisfied—and it only takes 30 minutes to pull together (and 25 of those minutes requires nothing of you while some farro cooks on the stove, so go ahead and scroll through some cat videos!). 

What is Farro? Come again?

You may be familiar with orzo, couscous, barley and even quinoa. But if the only farro you’re familiar with is Mia, you’re in for a treat! Farro is another ancient grain, like millet, wheat berries, amaranth, and our good friend who is also making an appearance in this recipe, chickpeas (or garbanzo beans). Similar to its ancient cousins, farro is a whole grain that has been used in cooking since ancient times in Mesopotamia. Popular in southern Europe for centuries, farro can be substituted for rice or quinoa. It has a nutty flavor and a great nutritional profile.

According to Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN, Nutrition Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute,

 “Farro is similar in nutrient profile to quinoa in that it’s higher in plant-based protein than rice.”

Some notes from our kitchen:

• Because farro is a whole grain, it does contain gluten and carbs, so anyone watching those should omit this ingredient. 
• When cooking farro, use a ratio of 2.5 to 1—water to uncooked farro. 
• ⅓ cup of uncooked farro will yield a cup of cooked farro. 

Enjoy!