Greek Farro Salad
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup dried farro
- 1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cucumber (about one small)
- 1/4 cup scallions, whites (about one bunch)
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Prepare the dressing
Paste the garlic with the salt; add to a bowl with the vinegar and let sit while preparing the other ingredients. (Pasting the garlic and allowing it to sit in the vinegar will mellow the flavor.)
Add the pepper, mustard, and oregano, and whisk to mix together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
- Cook the farro.
Rinse the farro. Bring two cups of water and a pinch of salt to boil; add farro. When it returns to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for about 10 minutes.
The directions on the package recommend cooking 20-25 minutes, but I have found it takes about thirty to completely absorb the water. Just keep an eye on yours. - Prepare the vegetables.
While the farro cooks, get the vegetables ready. Slice the tomatoes in half (in quarters if large) and dice the cucumber. Thinly slice the scallions and measure out just the whites and light greens. You can reserve the dark greens for garnish. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and slice the olives.
All measurements are after the vegetables have been chopped/sliced - Combine the ingredients.
Once the farro has cooled slightly, add the vegetables, feta cheese, and ¼ cup of the dressing. Mix well. You can serve it immediately or chilled.
Reserve the remaining dressing for adding to the chilled salad.