Warm Farro Salad with Asparagus and Fava Beans

Farro salad with asparagus, fava beans, and radishes.

Warm Farro Salad with Asparagus and Fava Beans

This hearty farro salad folds Boursin soft cheese into the cooked grain while it's still warm and adds asparagus and fava beans. The salad is finished with thinly sliced radishes, scallions, fresh herbs, and a sherry vinaigrette.

Course Salad Main Dish, vegetarian main

Cuisine Any

Keyword warm farro salad

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 327.2kcal

Author Susan Pridmore

Equipment

medium pot to cook the farro
Colander
Large pot to blanch the fava beans
Air Fryer (or use a conventional oven) for the asparagus
Chef's knife
Whisk
small bowl

Ingredients

⅔ cup uncooked farro, rinsed or pearl barley
3 tablespoons Herb and Garlic Boursin Soft Cheese or more to taste
30 pods fava beans
1 bunch asparagus ends trimmed
2 teaspoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
3 small spring onions or 4 scallions
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
6 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Sherry Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook the farro. Using a 3:1 ratio of water to dry farro grain, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the rinsed farro to the water and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until it's tender and chewy.
When done, drain and return it to the pot. Stir in the Boursin cheese until melted. Put a lid over the pot (off the heat) to keep it warm.
Pro tip: Rinsing farro before cooking removes some of the starch.
Cook the fava beans. While the farro cooks, shell the fava beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the fava beans for a quick 3-minute blanch over medium heat.
After 3 minutes, strain the beans and transfer them to a large bowl of ice water.
Once the beans are cooled enough to handle, pinch off the swollen tip of each bean and gently squeeze the bean to pop out an inner tender, bright green fava bean. This inner bean is the bean you'll use in this salad. Transfer them to a large bowl.
Note: If using fresh green peas in place of the fava beans, boil or steam for 2–5 minutes until tender and vibrant green. Frozen peas can go directly into a pot of boiling water without thawing, and need only 3–5 minutes to heat through. Do not overcook, or they will become mushy.
Roast the asparagus. Roast the asparagus in a 400˚F air fryer or oven. Toss the spears first in avocado oil or olive oil and lightly season with salt the pepper. Air fry for 5 minutes or roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Slice into 1-inch pieces and add to the fava beans.
Finish the salad. Add the warm farro to the large bowl containing the fava beans and asparagus, and add the onions, radishes, salt, and half of the chopped herbs. Lightly toss and correct for seasoning.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
Make the dressing. Whisk together the ingredients for the sherry vinaigrette in a small bowl. Drizzle over the farro salad and top with the remaining herbs.
Serve. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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