Spring Farro Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

By GuidingVegan

Ingredients

• For the Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
• 2 small heads garlic, roasted*
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup or agave
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• For the Farro Salad
• 1 cup farro, rinsed and drained**
• 3 cups water
• 1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 10 ounces petite peas, steamed until tender***
• 4 small radishes, thinly sliced

Details

Adapted from blissfulbasil.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400F.

Start by roasting your garlic (see notes for a tutorial). Let cool.

Add the rinsed farro and water to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain excess water if needed.

While the farro is cooking, add the asparagus and shiitakes to a medium baking pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt.

Roast alongside the garlic at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.

To make the roasted garlic vinaigrette, squeeze the roasted garlic into a blender along with the vinegar, lemon juice, tahini, water, maple syrup, sea salt, and black pepper. Blend on medium for 30 seconds, and slowly begin pouring the olive oil into the blender.

Add the farro, roasted veggies, peas, and radishes to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over**** and toss to coat. Season to taste, and serve.

Notes
*Approximately two 1-ounce heads of garlic. Oh She Glows has a great tutorial on roasting garlic.
**To make this gluten-free, substitute brown rice for the farro.
***10 ounces is approximately 2 cups. I use frozen organic peas, but you can absolutely use fresh if you prefer.
****You may not need to use all of the dressing, so add about ¾ and taste before adding more. I add all of it because the farro absorbs it over time.