This salad is the epitome of healthy summer cooking. All of the ingredients (besides the farro) can be added straight from the fridge and served chilled. Farro usually takes about 20 minutes to cook. (It’s like cooking rice. Google it. It’s easy.) If you want to limit your time at the stove, you can use Trader Joe's "Ten Minute Farro," which cooks on the stovetop lightning fast. (No Googling involved.)
The beauty of this salad is its adaptability. I've given options below for adding chickpeas, other fruits, kalamata olives and/or cucumbers. I suggest impressing your guests and family by bringing your salad to the table constructed (as in the photo above), with each ingredient standing alone before tossing with dressing.
I've included a dressing recipe that isn't low in WW Points but is nonetheless delicious if you're not calorie/Point counting. Bear in mind, however, that we should all get some healthy fats in our daily meals. You can drizzle a small portion of this dressing on your salad with minimal damage. (I'd count 2 WW Points per Tbsp.) Or you can use any of the Walden Farms Zero-Calorie dressings that you'll find in the salad dressing aisle at large supermarkets. (They're shown below.)
Salad:
2 cups cooked farro
2 cups greens of your choice (mixed greens, romaine, spinach)
2 large peaches, pitted and sliced (I used nectarines)
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
2 small ears corn, kernels removed, or 1 1/2 cups frozen thawed corn
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Optional add-ins: 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained; strawberries, halved,; Kalamata olives, halved; cucumber, thinly sliced.
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl combine the farro, greens, peach slices, blueberries, tomatoes, corn, feta and basil.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss until salad is well coated. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
without the Salad dressing
