Spelt Farro Salad with roasted tomatoes so deliciously healthy

Farro or spelt is very popular in Italy and has similarities to pearl barley. It is a chewy and nutty grain halfway between rice and couscous.
You should be able to find farro in Italian delis, health shops or in good supermarkets but if you really can't get hold of it you could still make this salad by substituting farro for bulgar wheat, couscous or rice.
This is an ideal dish to take on a picnic as it can be served warm or cold. I usually make something similar using rice but I found spelt to be very refreshing and healthy perfect for this time of year.
Roasted tomatoes and peppers will release their lovely juices whilst roasting. Make sure you don't waste them, pour them all on your salad, they will add a great deal of flavour.
- Prep Time : 20 minutes
- Cook Time : 40 minutes
Ingredients
- spelt (Italian farro) - 250 g - 9 oz - slightly less than 2 cups
- spring onions - 2
- cherry tomatoes - 400 g - 14 oz (about 30 cherry tomatoes)
- peppers - 1
- salad leaves - a handful
- sugar snap peas - 100 g - 3.5 oz
- watercress - a few leaves
- olive oil
- parmesan shavings
- salt
- toasted almond flakes - 5 tbsp
Instructions
Soak the farro in cold water for 20 minutes and drain.
Place the farro in a saucepan with plenty of salty cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 25 minutes or according to packet instructions.
Drain and let it cool down on your colander then put it on your serving dish and add 2 tbsp of olive oil, mix well.
Wash the tomatoes and the pepper. Remove the pepper's filaments and seeds and cut it into strips.
Put them on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, turn to coat and roast at 200C or 390F for 20 minutes.
Steam the snap peas for 5 minutes and chop the spring onion finely. Wash the salad leaves.
I love watercress and it is packed with vitamins. For a subtle peppery flavour add it to your salads or soups.
Add the onion, the tomatoes, the pepper, a few Parmesan shavings, the salad leaves and the watercress to the spelt and mix well.
Serve with a sprinkle of almond flakes and a drizzle of olive oil.
I am entering this to "Cook Blog Share".
Such a perfect summer salad! The colour and flavour are just amazing. I too love watercress sprouts.
Che deliziosa insalata, fresca e salutare, ideale da consumare in questo periodo di caldo! Un abbraccio!
Mouthwatering photos AND salad – perfect for this long hot summer 🙂