Curried Spelt Salad

By norsegal8

Ingredients

• 2 cups spelt, semi-pearled farro or whole wheat berries, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 6 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 3 cups shredded cooked rotisserie chicken (optional)
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 2 cups packed cilantro sprigs, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Place the spelt and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium pot. Add water to cover by about 1 1/2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the spelt is tender and the water is mostly absorbed, about 1 hour (or 12 to 15 minutes if using semi-pearled farro). Drain, place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry, mustard seeds, cardamom, and coriander; cook stirring often, until the spices are fragrant and the mustard seeds begin to pop, 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the carrots are crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the vinegar and stir until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and lemon. Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the onion is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the spelt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Add the chicken, arugula, 2 cups cilantro and olive oil to the spelt mixture; toss to combine. Transfer the salad to a large platter. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.