Two of my favorite dishes are gazpacho and chewy farro, an ancient wheat grain. As the summer heats up, I come up with salads that satisfy our hunger for cool refreshing dishes and different tastes. This one has been a crowd-pleaser at barbecues and luncheons.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet bell peppers are typical gazpacho ingredients and are a delicious companion to simple, slightly nutty flavored farro. I have added a few additional ingredients to ramp up the flavor, including oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and briny chopped olives. I like to use orange and red cherry tomatoes. Make sure they are ripe. Unexpected, bright yellow corn kernels and crumbled, slightly salty feta cheese complement the faintly sweet vegetables. Use a good-quality sherry vinegar in the dressing for an assertive flavor.
I use the quick-cook farro that is simmered for just 10 minutes, drained and cooled. Make sure the farro is cooled before adding to the vegetables (1 cup of dried farro makes about 3 cups cooked farro). This colorful, healthful grain salad makes an excellent side dish. If you want to add cooked shrimp or chicken, you’ll have a main course salad.
Gazpacho-Style Farro Salad
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
For the Dressing
