Southwestern Farro Salad

By Shawn

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1 cup dry farro, rinsed
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn
• 1 medium tomato, cored, seeded, and diced (or 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved)
• 2 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack, pepper Jack, or cheddar cheese
• handful of chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 small jalapeno, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tsp. light sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from ellysaysopa.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the farro. Cook for 15-20 minutes (it should still have some chew to it). Drain the farro, return it to the empty pot, and cover with a lid. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Then, place in a large bowl so it can start to cool.

Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pepitas and cook 1-2 minutes, or until golden. (Be careful, if your oil is too hot, they have a tendency to pop right out of the pan). Set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk together the jalapeno, vinegar, lime juice, and sour cream. Then slowly add the oil, while continuing to whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To the bowl with the farro, add the pepitas*, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro (if using), and a little salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the farro mixture, stirring lightly to combine all the ingredients and distribute the dressing evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.