A simple combination of cooked farro with sautéed asparagus and mushrooms makes a delicious seasonal salad bursting with the flavors of Spring. Dressed with a simple red wine vinaigrette, this healthy side dish is sure to become a new favorite on your table.
Nothing quite says spring to me like the sudden emergence of asparagus from the seemingly barren soil.
After harvesting some fresh spears from my garden this year, I somehow stumbled upon adding them to some farro and wow…what a delicious accident.
It turns out the combination of asparagus with the nutty, earthy flavor of farro makes a pretty stupendous salad.
Fresh mushrooms add some additional umami flavor, and a quick red wine vinaigrette provides the dressing to hold it all together.
This salad is such an easy and tasty way to celebrate this special spring vegetable.
Ingredients
For this recipe you’ll need:
- Farro: 1 cup of uncooked pearled farro. Farro is an ancient version of wheat that has a chewy texture with a delicious nutty flavor. While it’s high in plant-based protein and fiber, farro does contain gluten. See below for some gluten-free farro substitutions.
- Asparagus: one large bunch of asparagus spears, roughly one pound total. Asparagus has a relatively short growing season (April through May) so be picky when choosing it. You want your asparagus to have tight tips with firm and crisp stalks. It should never be flimsy or mushy. Green asparagus is the most common variety that you’ll find, but white or purple will work great too.
- Cremini mushrooms: aka Baby Bella mushrooms. Feel free to substitute with pretty much any mushroom of your choosing though. Morel mushrooms are an excellent choice if you’re lucky enough to have some on hand.
- Green onions: Once small bunch or 5-6 green onions. You’ll be using both the onion greens and onion whites.
- Fresh parsley
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Sea salt or kosher salt
- Black pepper
Substitutions and Variations
To make this salad gluten-free substitute a cooked gluten-free grain like quinoa, rice, or sorghum for the farro.
For a dairy-free and vegan version of this salad, simply omit the grated parmesan, or add in your favorite plant-based cheese shreds.
Experiment with additional fresh herbs like fresh thyme or rosemary for some additional flavor boost.
How to Make Farro Salad with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Prep the vegetables
Snap off any woody ends from the asparagus and slice them length-wise into roughly two-inch pieces.
Thinly slice the mushrooms and green onions, keeping the white and green parts separate.
Finally roughly chop the parsley and mince a clove of garlic.
Cook the farro
Pour roughly 3 cups of water into a large pot. Add a pinch of salt and bring it to a boil.
Add one cup of rinsed farro to the pot and return it to a low boil. Cook the farro for about 15-20 minutes until it is tender but still al dente.
Drain the farro and set it aside to slightly cool.
Sautee the mushrooms and asparagus
Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat and pour in two tablespoons of olive oil .
Once the oil is shimmering, add the mushrooms to the skillet an even layer.
Sprinkle some salt over the mushrooms and let them cook, undisturbed for about 5 minutes until they start to brown and release some liquid.
Stir the mushrooms, then add the onion whites and asparagus to the skillet.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is just tender. Remove the skillet from heat and set it aside.
Make the dressing
In a small mason jar combine the minced clove of garlic, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cover the jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake it vigorously until the dressing is emulsified.
Combine it all together
Combine the cooked farro and sautéed asparagus and mushrooms together in a large bowl, then add in the chopped fresh parsley.
Pour about half the dressing over the bowl. Gently toss everything until it is well coated. Add more of the dressing to personal taste, along with any additional salt and pepper.
Top the salad with the sliced onion greens and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
Know your farro: pearled farro means the outer bran on the grain has been removed, which greatly reduces it’s cooking time. You can use semi-pearled or whole farro, but you will have to boil it longer. If all else fails just consult the directions on the package, or start taste testing the farro around 15-20 minutes and continue cooking until it is tender but still chewy.
Try not to overcook the asparagus–you’re aiming for it to be tender, but still a little crisp. Truly fresh asparagus hardly needs to be cooked at all, so just 2-3 minutes should do the trick.
Save some time by pre-cooking the farro up to five days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature when you’re ready to use.
You can also pre-make the dressing ahead of time and store the jar in the refrigerator. Just allow it to warm up and give it a good shake before using.
Serving Suggestions
This salad makes a great side dish for grilled fish, chicken, or steak.
You can even serve it on top of fresh spinach or arugula for a light meal.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to four days. It can be reserved cold, at room temperature, or slightly warmed.
More Seasonal Salad Recipes
- Roasted Corn Salad with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes
- Morel Mushroom and Quinoa Salad
- English Pea Salad
- Cassava Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Peas, and Radishes
Farro Salad with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearled farro rinsed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 pound asparagus woody ends trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 6 green onions sliced, greens and whites separated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- kosher salt or sea salt
For the Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the farro, stir, and bring the water back to a low boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the farro is tender, but still al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, spreading them out in a single layer, and sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Cook undisturbed until the mushrooms start to brown a release liquid, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the mushrooms, then add the asparagus and green onion whites to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender but still slightly crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Make the dressing: Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a small jar. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until emulsified.
- Combine the farro, sautéed asparagus and mushrooms, and parsley together in a large mixing bowl. Pour half the dressing over the bowl, then gently toss until everything is well coated. Add more dressing and additional salt and pepper to taste. Top with the grated parmesan and onion greens before serving.
Nutrition
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