Hearty Summer Harvest Salad
Lia Soneson
Savor more of summer with this beautiful, flavor-packed salad! Bursting with color and texture, This recipe focuses on capturing end-of-summer fruits and vegetables all in a fabulous salad feast. Grilled beets, fennel, and red onion offer depth and earthiness, while sweet peaches, tangy blackberries, and ripe cherries bring a bright complement to farro’s hearty nature. Drizzle it all with a fresh, honey balsamic dressing for the ultimate summer celebration.
Hearty Summer Harvest Salad
Makes 4 large entrée salads
Salad Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups farro
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 yellow beet, scrubbed
2 purple beets, scrubbed
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 cup cherries, halved and pitted
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced with a mandoline
1 small red onion, thinly sliced with a mandoline
1 peach, halved and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced with a mandoline
1/2 cup blackberries
6 cups arugula
1 cup micro-greens
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup Marcona almonds
1/3 cup pistachios
Dressing Ingredients:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar dressing
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon honey 1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
1. Cook the farro in the vegetable broth seasoned with salt over low heat for 20 minutes, or until the grains become tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. While the farro cooks, preheat an outdoor grill to medium high heat. Coat a large piece of aluminum foil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the beets in the foil. Wrap the foil over the beets and seal. Place the grill packet on the grill, seam side up, and grill for 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of your beets) or until the beets are very tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and let the beets cool, about 15 minutes. Once cooled, remove the beet skins and dice the beets into 1/2" cubes.
3. Place the pitted and halved cherries, sliced fennel, and sliced red onion in a grill basket and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place the grill basket on the grill over indirect heat for 6-8 minutes, until the foods are tender, turning with grill tongs as needed to ensure even cooking.
4. Prepare all of the other vegetables and fruits by halving and slicing the peach, slicing the celery, and washing the blackberries, arugula and micro greens.
5. In a jar or bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
6. Place the farro in 4 large bowls, top with the beets, cherries, fennel, onion, peaches, celery, blackberries, arugula, and micro greens. Drizzle with the dressing, tossing to coat. Top with the goat cheese, almonds, and pistachios. Enjoy!