Cauliflower is having a major moment in my household right now. From raw florets to Creamy Cauliflower Sauce, I have yet to regret incorporating it into a single dish. As the temperature drops, though, I'm not loving to snack on it raw and crunchy ( and ice cold!) straight from the fridge like I do when it's in the middle of a scorching South Carolina Lowcountry summer. Really, I'm not wanting any cold food unless my office accidentally cranked up the heat, which makes my daily routine of salad for lunch ... difficult.
If it's cold, I want warm.
So what's a girl to do when planning a week of work lunches that needs to have the ease of a bunch of lettuce in tupperware but the reheatability factor of a delicious, hot, pasta dish? Farro. I have had an ongoing love affair with whole grains my entire life. It's not even a health thing; I wish I could claim that it were! They're just delicious. Chewy and nutty, whole grains add an amazing texture and deep, woodsy flavor to any ol' dish.
You wouldn't eat this dish with white rice. It would be boring. It might even seem like the whole dish was an accident. But add farro... and the whole dish sings with different textures, layers of flavors, and the satisfying heaft of a minimally processed grain with 7 grams of protein per serving. SEVEN. That beats brown rice and quinoa, current high-protein darling of the whole grain world.
To keep it fresh, I do add a lot of fresh lemon juice to the mix. The first day, it was really zingy, by the last day, it had a lovely, delicate lemon flavor. I loved it on each day as it went through the spectrum, but if you know you want that super bright lemon flavor, I'd eat this on the first day you make it ( or at least the second ).
Lemon Basil Farro Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup Farro
- ½ head Cauliflower chopped into large bite-sized florets
- 1 cup Baby Carrots each carrot halved.
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium Garlic Clove
- ¼ cup fresh Basil Leaves loosely packed
- ¼ cup fresh Parsley Leaves loosely packed
- juice from 1 Lemon
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- On a sheet pan, toss the carrots and cauliflower with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes.
- Make the farro according to package directions.
- In a small food processor or blender, combine the remaining ingredients ( ½ tablespoon olive oil, garlic clove, basil, parsley, juice from the lemon, water, salt, and pepper ) and process until they are diced and thoroughly combined.
- Toss the roasted vegetables with the farro and the herb lemon dressing.
- Serve immediately (hot) or chill for up to four days and serve cold.
Notes
This will probably easily become one of my favorite lunches - healthy and delicious!
I love hearing that! Thank you, Monica 😉