Farro salad with lemon, cucumber, and herbs

Farro is not a new ingredient, it’s considered an ancient grain, so that means it’s probably been around for thousands of years. I have never written a recipe using farro and I discovered today that I have been missing out. I have eaten it a few times before, but I’ve never cooked with it from scratch. If you are ready to experiment with your grains, grab a bag of farro and get cooking.

I am always looking for ways to add whole grains to my diet and to the diets of my kids. I make a lot of bread at home, but most often, it’s white bread – because it’s the most versatile. I truly believe there is nothing wrong with that, because we get so much fiber from other sources, mainly fruits and veggies.

I love cooking with different types of grains to use as sides to round out our whole grain and fiber intake. When I saw this month’s challenge pop up, I just knew I was going to make something with farro in it.

If you’ve never had it, it is very unique. It has that nutty flavor that’s very indicative of many whole grains. The texture is a bit chewy, which I love. I don’t like mushy, so this definitely works for me. I like that it tastes good in a warm salad or cold salad, so it’s a great make ahead grain. It’s also got the nutrition profile that I love.

One serving (1/4 cup dry) of farro is going to give you

• 7 grams of fiber
• 7 grams of protein
• Iron, zinc, magnesium

All of those nutrients are ones I need to get more of in my diet, especially when we go meat free for a few days.

This salad is a cinch to pull together too. Everything can be prepped while the farro is cooking and it can be made ahead.

Enjoy!

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