Crispy Farro Salad with Walnut Mustard Cream
To a few of you, this salad might scare you, but let me tell you that it might be one of the most delicious and easy salads I've ever made. It's packed with finely chopped and lightly crisp vegetables, dressed in a bright lemon dressing and perfectly paired with a grounding walnut cream. It's light but herby, crunchy but creamy. It's my dream salad.
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 small blender
Ingredients
For the Crispy Farro Salad
- 1 head of radicchio
- 1 large head of green leaf lettuce or two small heads
- 1 cup farro cooked
- 2 tablespoons capers optional
For the Walnut Mustard Cream
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 heaping tsp mustard
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves plus more for garnish
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more as needed (use half the amount if using Morton's)
- 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper plus more to taste
For the Lemon Parmesan Dressing
- 1 tablespoons honey
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Finely chop the radicchio and the green leaf lettuce. Toss together and set aside.
- On a parchment-lined baking sheet, evenly spread out the cooked farro. Scatter the 2 tablespoons of capers on top. Drizzle with just a bit of olive oil, no more than a teaspoon. Toss to coat, season with a pinch of salt and put it in the oven. Roast at 400°F for 15-18 minutes or until the farro is lightly golden and the capers are crisp. Note that the farro will taste more like a corn nut and less like a puffed grain, you want it to be a dense, crunchy texture.
- While the farro is in the oven, begin the walnut cream. Soak the walnuts in boiling hot water for 4-5 minutes. Drain and transfer them to a small blender. Add the mustard, capers, parsley, lemon, salt and pepper. Add 2/3 cup of cool water and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl, add the honey, juice from the second lemon, red pepper flakes, parmesan and olive oil. Whisk well to combine and season with salt.
- Throw the lettuce and radicchio directly into the bowl with the lemon dressing and give it a toss with clean hands.
- Remove the farro from the oven, and now it's time to plate!
- Plate each serving with a generous smear of the walnut cream on the bottom, then top with the lemony salad, and sprinkle with a generous serving of crisp farro. Enjoy!