Vegetarian mains
Italian farro salad with vegetables and pesto
Nutty and slightly chewy, farro wheat is a traditional ingredient of Tuscan salads. It's worth finding for the great contrast it gives with the soft succulence of the veg, but if you can't get hold of it, short or medium grain brown rice, pearl barley or even couscous will also do. Either make your own pesto for this, or use a couple of teaspoons of shop bought.
Cook's notes
You can use short or medium grain brown rice instead of farro in this dish.
Ingredients
- 100g farro, soaked overnight in cold water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150g potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes
- 100g green beans, sliced into 1cm pieces
- 100g courgettes, cut into small pieces
- 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 tsp pesto
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Cook the farro in 500ml boiling water for 10 minutes (if you haven't pre-soaked the farro it will take 30-40 minutes).
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Step 2
Drain, season, toss in the olive oil and leave to cool. Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10 minutes and the green beans and courgettes for 4 minutes. Drain, season and allow to cool.
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Step 3
Mix with the farro, tomatoes and pesto. Check the seasoning and serve.