Description
A vibrant and hearty Farro Salad with roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and a spicy peanut dressing that delivers a perfect balance of flavors and textures. This nutritious salad is ideal for meal prep or as a flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Farro Salad
- 1 cup uncooked farro (pearled farro recommended)
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
- 15 ounce can adzuki beans, drained and rinsed (or chickpeas or red beans)
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted cashews
Spicy Peanut Dressing
- 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Cook farro: Bring about 3 cups of salted water to a boil in a pot. Add the farro, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for around 15 minutes until the grains are tender but still chewy. Drain the farro and set aside to cool.
- Roast sweet potato: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the pieces on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat evenly, then spread in a single layer. Roast for about 25 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a small to medium bowl, combine the creamy peanut butter, fresh lime juice, low sodium soy sauce, pure maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, Sriracha hot sauce, and ground ginger. Whisk thoroughly until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water to loosen the consistency.
- Mix salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooked farro, roasted sweet potatoes, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, shelled edamame, rinsed adzuki beans, and chopped roasted cashews. Pour the spicy peanut dressing over the salad and toss well until all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Chill and serve: Cover the salad and refrigerate until ready to serve. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully. Serve chilled and enjoy!
Notes
- For a nut-free version, omit the roasted cashews and substitute the peanut butter in the dressing with tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- Use low sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness of the dressing.
- Pearled farro cooks faster and has a chewier texture compared to semi-pearled or whole farro, choose according to preference.
- Sweet potatoes can be roasted ahead of time to save on prep time.
- Adjust the amount of Sriracha to control the spiciness of the dressing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
