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Farro Wedge, Vegan or Otherwise

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 45 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (not the syrupy aged kind)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 recipe Mark’s Vegannaise (or 1 scant cup store-bought vegan mayonnaise)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (optional; see the recipe note for other flavoring ideas)
  • 1 medium head iceberg lettuce
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup crumbled dried wakame seaweed
  • 1 cup whole basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Put the farro in a medium pot with the vinegar, 2 cups water, a pinch of salt, and lots of black pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat so the liquid bubbles steadily. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the kernels have just begun to burst and are tender and pleasantly chewy, 25 to 30 minutes.
  2. Transfer the farro to a mesh sieve set in the sink and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Taste and add salt and pepper if you’d like. Let drain.
  3. Whisk together the vegannaise and garlic or other flavorings. Trim and quarter the lettuce. Remove the core from each wedge and rinse them well under cold water; let drain. (At this point you can chill all the components of the salad for up to a couple hours before serving.
  4. To serve, scatter some farro onto plates or a platter. Nestle in a lettuce wedge and spoon the dressing so it drips generously over the wedge and farro. Add the tomatoes, sprinkle with the wakame, and tuck in some basil leaves here and there.

—Recipe developed by The Bittman Project for Bob’s Red Mill

Recipe variations

Blue Cheese-Bacon Wedge

Some simple substitutions change everything. Make the farro as directed in Step 1. Instead of the wakame, cook 4 slices thick bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning as necessary until browned and crisp; drain on towels and crumble when cool. Substitute mayonnaise for the vegannaise and stir in 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar; thin with a little milk or buttermilk if you’d like. Assemble and dress the salad as described in Step 4.