Spring Pea Farro Salad

A bright and refreshing salad featuring sweet peas, nutty farro, and a zesty lemon-mint vinaigrette. Perfect for spring picnics or light dinners.

Scale

300 g (1 1/2 cups) farro, pearled or semi-pearled
250 g (1 1/2 cups) fresh or frozen peas
3–4 medium radishes, thinly sliced
1 medium English or Persian cucumber, diced
15 g (1/2 cup loosely packed) fresh mint, finely chopped
15 g (1/2 cup) flat-leaf parsley, optional
120 ml (1/2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
60 ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 ml) honey or maple syrup, optional
1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard
1 tsp diamond crystal kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp Morton’s)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 60-80 g (2-3 oz) crumbled feta, 40-50 g (1/3-1/2 cup) toasted almonds or pistachios, or baby arugula

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Toast the farro: Rinse the farro and drain. In a medium saucepan, toast farro over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Add 750 ml (3 cups) water and 1/2 tsp salt; bring to a boil, then simmer 15-20 minutes for pearled farro (25-30 minutes for whole farro) until tender but still chewy. Drain any excess water and let rest covered for 10 minutes.
Blanch the peas: Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add peas; blanch for 60-90 seconds until bright green and tender-crisp. Transfer immediately to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.
Make the lemon-mint vinaigrette: In a jar, combine olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon, salt, and black pepper. Shake or whisk until emulsified. Taste and adjust acid or salt.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine warm farro with blanched peas, sliced radishes, diced cucumber, chopped mint, and parsley if using. Add 120-160 ml (1/2-2/3 cup) vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add crumbled feta or nuts if using. Season to taste.
Rest and serve: Let the salad rest 10 minutes for flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

For a gluten-free option, swap farro for quinoa. This salad keeps well for 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container.