Herbed Farro Salad with Walnuts, Feta and Spinach

Photo by Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post

Farro, an ancient grain, is the heart of this salad, where its nutty toothsomeness is matched with a bold combo of crunchy walnuts, salty feta cheese, aromatic fresh herbs and hearty greens. This Herbed Farro Salad with Walnuts, Feta, and Spinach holds up well in the refrigerator, so you can dip into it at home when you need a quick bite, or pack and take to work for lunch. It’s a nice vegetarian main on its own but is also delicious topped with some simply grilled or roasted chicken or meat.

Herbed Farro Salad with Walnuts, Feta, and Spinach

Ingredients

1 cup farro
About 3 cups water, or more as needed
1/3 cup walnut pieces
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and diced
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (2/3 cup)
1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill fronds, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the farro in a large saucepan. Add the water to cover. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the farro is tender yet still somewhat chewy, about 30 minutes. Drain, then transfer the farro to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Toast the walnuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Cool, then coarsely chop.

Add the spinach, cucumber, feta, scallion, parsley, dill, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the bowl of cooled farro; toss until well incorporated. Divide among individual plates or a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted walnuts. Serve as a vegetarian main course, or with a protein like rotisserie chicken.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Calories per serving 370; Total Fat 18g (Saturated Fat 5g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 410mg; Total Carbohydrates 38g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Protein 13g