I love hearty salads and often have them as stand-alone meals, especially when they have a lot of different textures and flavours like this one. Farro is a great source of fiber, iron, protein and magnesium and in my opinion is really underrated as a staple grain that brings a nice nutty flavour to a dish. In this salad I’ve coupled it with sour green apple, a slightly sweet dressing and a salty parmesan cheese.

Serves: 1 | Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup farro 
1/2 bouillon cube or stock
1 shallot
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for frying)
1/2 green apple (I’ve used granny smith)
Mixed salad greens
20g shelled unsalted pistachios 
Parmesan (to taste)

Dressing:

3 Tbsp evoo
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper 

Method:

• Cook the farro according to the instructions on the package adding half a bouillon cube or stock in place of plain water (cooking time is usually 20-30 minutes)

• Meanwhile, peel and chop the shallot into thin slices and fry off over a medium heat until caramelized and softened (about 3-4 minutes) and set aside

• Cut the apple into small even cubes, wash and dry the salad greens and set aside

• Prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients

• Once the farro is cooked and cooled (warm or cold depending on your preference) combine all the salad components into a bowl

• Top with the dressing and as much shaved parmesan as you like