Farro Salad With Peas and Leeks

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

Composed of whole grains and seasonal vegetables and herbs, cool grain salads make a satisfying lunch, picnic, or side dish. We could probably subsist on them all spring and summer long! Here’s a brilliantly fresh version with chewy farro, English peas, and sweet leeks, all tied together with a yogurt-lemon dressing

Ingredients

1 cup farro, soaked for one hour in water to cover and drained
2 cups water
Salt
2 baby leeks (or 1 regular leek), white and light green parts only
1 pound peas, shelled (or 1 cup frozen peas)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped tarragon leaves

Instructions

Cook and cool farro: Combine farro, 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain farro and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
Prepare leeks: Meanwhile, clean the leeks, slice them in half lengthwise, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Sauté in 1 tablespoon olive oil until soft.
Blanch peas: Have ready a bowl of ice water and a slotted spoon. Bring a pan of water to boil over high heat. Add a tablespoon of salt and the peas and boil just until bright green, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Quickly remove the peas with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice bath to cool.
Assemble salad: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, and a few cracks of black pepper. Add the farro, leeks, peas, and tarragon and toss to combine. Season to taste and serve immediately or keep covered in the refrigerator.