There are some recipes you make over and over again. For me, this is one of those for so many reasons. First and foremost, it is delicious! The chewy Farro, sweet grapes, caramellized onions, and the lovely greens are truly a symphony of flavors. Second – Really?, could it get any healthier? Farro, if you’ve never had it, has a healthy dose of protein on its own, along with some vitamins and fiber. And did I say it is chewy and delicious? Thirdly, it is super-satisfying. This salad can be a main dish as easily as a side by adding a bit more protein like some black beans or chicken strips. Truly, there’s nothing about this salad that is less than spectacular!
I’ve made this salad for all kinds of get-togethers and parties. It is always a hit. I usually serve the goat cheese on the side, because on its own it is a vegan dish, and with an increasing number of people choosing vegan foods, this one is perfect!
The recipe is from Martha Stewart, who always pleases with her fantastic recipes. I’ve only changed things a bit. The original recipe calls for quite a bit of salt. Even in the slightly altered version, below, you will note what might be considered copious amounts. But never fear. It really does bring out all of the flavors, and remember, this amount of salad will feed 8-10 people, so don’t fear the salt! It all works out once you add all of those greens!
So give this a try! It’s as perfect for a summer picnic as it is for a wintertime dinner party. If you’re anything like me, you will come back to this recipe again and again. It’s THAT good! Enjoy!
Farro and Roasted Grape Salad
From Martha Stewart This is truly one of the best salads I’ve ever had! Give it a try, I know it will be yours, too!
- Category: Good for crowd, Recipe, Salad, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 oz Whole Farro
- 6 c Red seedless grapes (about 1 1/2 -2 lb), stemmed
- 2 Red onions, small, cut into 1/4" slices.
- 5 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. Red wine vinegar (plus more for serving)
- 4 c Hearty baby greens (I used mix of baby kale, baby spinach and baby chard from Trader Joe's)
- Salt and Pepper
- 8 oz Optional - Goat cheese crumbles (if not making vegan salad)
Instructions
- Cook Farro according to directions on package. If there are no directions, cook about 1 1/2 cups along with 4 1/2 c water. Boil for 25-30 minutes. Most if not all of the water should be absorbed. Drain if necessary and pour into serving dish.
- Preheat oven to 400F. On a large sheet pan, mix grapes, 1 T olive oil, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. On a second large sheet pan, place the onion slices in a single layer. Drizzle 1 T olive oil over the slices. Turn them over, then drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil, followed by sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place sheetpans in preheated oven. If your oven does not have a convection setting, place the onions below the grapes in the oven.
- Set a timer for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, flip the onion slices and stir the grapes. During the last 15 minutes, watch carefully so the onions do not burn, they should end up golden and caramellized but not black. The grapes should be just beginning to burst at the 45 minute mark. When done, scrape the onions and the grapes into the serving dish with the Farro.
- In a small bowl or a cup, combine the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the red wine vinegar 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over Farro mixture and stir until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Let salad cool 20-30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, mix in the salad greens. If desired sprinkle on a bit more red wine vinegar to taste. If desired, top with goat cheese crumbles.
Warning—when roasting grapes the juice will run out and under the parchment and turn to charcoal. Only make this if you have a disposable baking sheet.
So sorry, Perci, that you had this experience. I’ve made this salad 5 or 6 times, never having the grapes burn. I looked back at the original source recipe, from Martha Stewart, and noticed a comment similar to yours. All other comments were quite positive. I also checked with my neighbor, from whom I tried the recipe, and she didn’t have this problem either. It may be that your oven runs hot, or that a convection oven, such as mine, works better in this case. Because my oven is convection, I lowered the temp in my recipe from Martha’s suggestion of 425. But, I apologize, Im not an expert. If you ever decide to try a similar recipe again, I might start at 325 or 350.
Thanks, Laura! This salad/dish is awesome! I could eat it every night.
Thanks! I could too!