Snap Pea-Apricot Farro Salad

vegan, refined sugar-free

Adapted from a recipe from Kathy

I've been trying to eat more whole grains (instead of bread at every meal), so when Kathy from my yoga meetup group shared this recipe with me, I was excited! This grain salad is so delicious and filling, it makes a satisfying one-dish meal. Perfect for packing for an easy lunch, picnic, or camping trip, it keeps for about 5 days in the fridge and is delicious served at room temperature. The recipe can easily be doubled to serve a crowd.

Serves: 6 / Active time: 20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
FOR THE FARRO:

• 1 1/2 cups dry farro, rinsed*
• ½ onion or shallot, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp salt**
• ¼ tsp paprika (optional)

FOR THE SALAD:

• 1 fifteen-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 5 dried apricots
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas
• 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

TO SERVE:

• shelled ​pistachios or cashews

Directions:

1. In a wide pot, saute onion and garlic in oil until fragrant over medium-low heat, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the rinsed farro, salt, and paprika, and cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to toast the farro and infuse it with flavor. 
3. Stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. Let cook for 30 min (or check at 10 min if using soaked farro), until the farro is al dente, soft but still with a nice chewy texture. Remove from the heat and let sit with the lid on for another 5 minutes to absorb excess water. 
5. Meanwhile, soak the apricots in hot water for 5 minutes and rinse the snap peas.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil and place the cooked farro into a large bowl to allow it to cool a bit.
7. Chop the snap peas and apricots into bite-size pieces, and place them along with the rinsed and drained chickpeas into the bowl with the farro. Drizzle the vinegar mixture over everything and stir well. 
8. Serve at room temperature with pistachios or cashews sprinkled on top of the salad.***

*Farro is a a high-protein, high-fiber ancient whole-grain wheat similar to barley. The cooking time can be reduced to 10-15 minutes if you soak it overnight.
**The amount of salt to use depends on how salty your vegetable broth is. I generally use "Better than Bouillon" brand No Chicken Base or Vegetable Base, and like to add just 1/4 tsp of salt.
​***Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for a few days. 

toasting the farro