A great salad any time of year, but especially appreciated mid-march when the winter’s cruciferous vegetables are still making a big show in the market. The pomegranate syrup adds a nice tangy flavor balanced by the sweetness of the dates.
Ingredient note: Farro is an ancient, whole wheat grain with a nutty flavor and a satisfying chew. You see it a lot on restaurant menus as risotto or incorporated into salads.
Farro, an Italian word also used in English, refers to not one grain, but three. There is farro piccolo (einkorn), farro medio (emmer) and farro grande (spelt.) When you see a bag of farro coming from Italy, it is generally farro medio or emmer wheat .
In France, Italian Farro is hard to find. Substitute petite épeautre (farro grande or spelt wheat in English) in recipes calling for Farro.
Farro is sold whole, semipearled and pearled. Whole farro needs an overnight soaking or it is damn near impossible to cook until tender, semipearled has had part of the bran removed which means less fiber but faster cooking and pearled cooks in the least amount of time but all the bran has been removed.
It’s a great alternative to other popular grains, such as rice, quinoa, buckwheat and barley.
TFarro Salad with Shaved Red Cabbage and Tangy Pomegranate Molasses Dressing
Ingredients
- For the Farro
- 2 cups (400 g) Farro
- 5 cups (1.2 L) chicken broth or water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- For the other salad ingredients
- 3 cups thinly shaved red cabbage
- 3 tablespoons chopped raw walnuts
- 7 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise (or a handful of raisins or dried cranberries)
- Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
- For the Dressing
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ground sumac (or a squeeze of lemon if you don’t have sumac)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or ¼ teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the farro: Place the farro in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Put the farro, water or stock, oil and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the farro is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool.
- While the farro is cooking, make the dressing. In a bowl large enough to hold the salad, combine the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, sumac, mint, salt and pepper. Whisk to dissolve the salt. Add the oil and whisk until blended.
- When the farro has cooled, add it along with the sliced cabbage, walnuts, dates, and parsley to the bowl with the salad dressing and toss to combine. Let the salad stand for 10 minutes to blend the flavors and soften the cabbage. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper if needed and serve.
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https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/salads/farro-salad-with-shaved-red-cabbage-and-tangy-pomegranate-molasses-dressing/
