A refreshing farro lentil summer salad, perfect lunch for hot summer days. This is one of those super easy very delicious salads that can be a whole meal in itself or a nice refreshing side dish to be paired up with fish.
Either way, it is yummy delicious and not to mention healthy.
Finally, we got to the point in the year when the garden presents itself in it best form. There are vegetables in all forms, shapes, and colors. Now we need to not disappoint and make the best of it.
One option is this easy to make farro lentil summer salad.
It’s super easy to make, delicious and healthy.
the tomatoes & peppers …
This salad is undoubtedly the best in the summer when the tomatoes and peppers are in their primes. The main flavor of this salad comes from good tomatoes. So the best option is to check what’s available at the farmer’s market.
Having a mix of different kinds of tomatoes will add a nice deep flavor to the salad. I generally use around six different tomato types ranging from more acidic to sweeter, with almost no pronounced acidity.
In this salad, I like to use the elongated tubular pepper. They have a nice fresh pepper flavor and pairs up nicely with the tomatoes. At the beginning of their growth period, they are green and later turn to dark red.
the olive oil …
Tomatoes and olive oil are like best friends. So since we went through the whole trouble of finding good tomatoes let’s give them their better half equally good.
Try to find good extra virgin olive oil. Since this dish is not cooked the freshness and quality of the olive oil will be pronounced.
the saltiness …
To add another dimension of saltiness to the salad I like to use the feta cheese. Finding good feta can sometimes be a problem, and as this salad does not have strong flavors it is quite important to have good feta cheese, as its flavor will be pronounced.
If you don’t like feta, another option can be burrata or small buffalo mozzarella balls. Just note that if you omit feta cheese the salad will not be as salty. In this case, taste the salad and adjust the seasoning before serving.
how to …
The whole process involves three main steps. Cooking and cooling the grains, chopping the veggies, and making a paste that resembles pesto but it really isn’t. Curious? Don’t worry it is simpler than pesto and does not involve using the mortar and pestle.
You will need to cook the grains separately since they have different cooking times.
For the veggies, you just need to chop them up into bite-size pieces. Just be careful with the tomatoes and chop them last, if they are really ripe. This way they will release their juices later in the process and you will not end up with a mushy salad.
serving …
The salad should be served when made. The tomatoes will start to release their juices when the salt is added to the salad much faster so it is best not to put the salad on hold.
There is no direct spiciness in the salad at all but if you like a bit of spiciness you can add some freshly chopped chilies at the time of serving.
If you need a more energized lunch option you can add a cooked egg on the side.
Enjoy!
Farro lentil summer salad
Equipment & Tools
- Food processor
- Kitchen scale
INGREDIENTS
The salad
- 130 g farro
- 220 g beluga lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp salt (kosher)
- 1.2 kg tomatoes
- 255 g peppers (~ 4 large, tubular sweet)
- 125 g cucumber (~ 1 medium)
- 150 g feta cheese
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (good quality)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 chilli (optional)
Basil sauce
- 50 g basil (leaves only)
- 3 g fleur de sel
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lemon, zest (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Cooking the grains
- Add farro and beluga lentils to separate pots and wash each thoroughly.
- To each pot add a bay leaf, 1 tsp of salt, and water. The water in the pot should be around 5cm above the grains.
- Cook on medium to high heat (medium simmer) until the grains are cooked but still hold shape. For farro, it should approximately take 16 minutes while for beluga lentils it takes around 26 minutes.
- Once cooked drain them, remove the bay leaf, and place them in a bowl. Cool the grains to room temperature.
The basil sauce
- In the food processor (the small bowl) add basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt (fleur de sel).
- Process all until the paste is shiny and spreadable.
- If you are using lemon zest, add it to the finished paste. Mix to incorporate all the ingredients.
The veggies
- Wash all the vegetables and drain the excess water.
- Take one large salad bowl.
- Peel the cucumber if the skin is too tough. Cut lengthwise into ¼ and then chop into bite-size pieces. Add to the salad bowl.
- Discard the seeds and the middle part of peppers. Cut the peppers in half and then lengthwise so that each strip is 1 cm in width. Then cut each strip into preferred bitesize pieces. Add to the salad bowl.
- Cut the tomatoes into bitesize pieces and add to the salad bowl.
The salad
- Add basil paste to the cooled grains and mix well.
- Mix the vegetables and add the grains. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix gently until all ingredients are nicely distributed.
- Plate the salad and crumble feta on top.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
- Sprinkle the chopped chilies if using.
- Serve immediately.
