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Farro Salad with Preserved Lemon, Basil & Edamame

A delicious and healthy salad filled with edamame, mint, basil, tomatoes and arugula, tossed in a bright preserved lemon dressing.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4
Author: Nicole Coudal, My Delicious Blog

Ingredients

Grain:

  • 1 c. Farro (dry)
  • 2 1/2 c. water
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Dressing:

  • 1 Tb. preserved lemon rind, rinsed, dried, minced
  • 6 Tb. olive oil
  • 3-4 Tb. lemon juice (Meyer or regular)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

  • 1/2 c. shelled edamame
  • 1/2 c. small tomatoes, halved
  • 1-2 c. baby arugula
  • Handful fresh basil and mint, chopped
  • 2 Tb. crumbled Feta cheese Or Ricotta Salata or goat cheese
  • 2 Tb. salted, toasted sunflower seeds Or toasted pecans, walnuts or almonds

Instructions

For the Grain:

  • Rinse the dry Farro in water and drain.  Place it in a medium saucepan, along with 2 1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, covered, until tender.  

For the Dressing (prepare while grain cooks):

  • Slice each piece of preserved lemon rind into strips, then chop into small pieces.  Keep mincing with a chef's knife until the lemon is very fine.  Add to a small mixing bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.  Whisk to combine; set aside. 
  • When grain is cooked and still warm, drain any remaining water, then combine with dressing and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before adding other ingredients.

For the Salad:

  • To mixed grain/dressing, add edamame, tomatoes, arugula, herbs and seeds/nuts.  Stir gently to combine; taste for seasoning (add more salt or lemon juice, if needed) and top with cheese before serving.

Notes

  1. Don't add fresh herbs to the salad while the grain is warm, as they may discolor. Toss in just before you plan to serve.
  2. For this dish, I added in 1/2 cup cooked wild rice (this is optional).  If you decide to use, simply follow your package instructions for cooking.
  3. If you don't have homemade preserved lemons, you can usually find them at specialty shops.  OR zest a whole lemon, toss it into a bowl and mix with 1/2 tsp. sea salt.  The lemon oils mix with the salt to almost mimic then taste of a preserved lemon.  Just mix that into your dressing and you should be ok :)