Roasted Eggplant Farro Salad
*serves 4-6

When I was preparing salmon for dinner last week, I wanted to make a side that would have veggies and fiber but wasn’t a typical salad with a lettuce base. I love making creative salads, but I hadn’t made a grain salad in quite some time. I think grain salads are the perfect hearty but light offering to spring eating and, so, my aunt and I agreed on farro.

Farro is a wheat based grain that has a nutty texture. It can be substituted with barley in many recipes, but in my opinion it has way more flavor and is less dense. Farro also packs high protein and fiber, making it the perfectly filling side when accompanied by veggies and a fresh dressing. You can cook farro similarly to pasta, bringing water to a boil, adding the farro and then draining it once it’s done. It’s best cooked al dente and can be served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Typically farro can take anywhere from 30-40 minutes to cook, which is a lot of time on a weeknight or even on a weekend when you’re running around with errands and trying to get a meal on the table. Trader Joe’s to the rescue! TJ’s makes a FABULOUS farro that is partially cooked and, so, it’s total cooking time is done in only 10 minutes. This farro is a pantry staple, clearly.

So, gather up your ingredients: farro, chopped red onion, cube an eggplant for roasting and drain a can of chickpeas. You’ll also need fresh lemons, garlic and parsley and extra virgin olive oil to whip together a beautiful vinaigrette that can also double as a marinade for meat or fish!

You can begin to make the farro salad by cooking the farro first because this salad will be served at room temperature, so as soon as it’s done you can set it aside. While the farro is cooking saute the red onion in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and prep the eggplant for roasting by salting it and allowing the water to drain. At this point you can also drain the chickpeas, lay them on a paper towel to dry out, and prep them to be roasted. Ah, you can also whip up the vinaigrette if you haven’t already!

All of the components for this recipe can be done ahead of time or on the day you’re making it. And since it’s a spring/summer side salad served at room temperature, there’s no worries on coordinating the perfect timing for everything to be served hot from the oven or stovetop. This grain salad is a great way to get in the kitchen and play with different ingredients and spices without the pressure of everything being perfect. You can adjust the salt as you go, do one thing at a time and manage the parts of this salad as you wish. The most important part is to get lost in the moment and have fun!

Roasted Eggplant Farro Salad
*serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 eggplant, cubed, salted and pat dry
1 large red onion diced
1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
½ teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of smoked paprika
½ teaspoon of salt
4 large cloves of garlic crushed or minced
1 1/2 tsp salt + 1 1/2 teaspoons for the eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon for the chickpeas
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
2 tablespoons of honey
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
1/3 cup of olive oil for the vinaigrette + 1/4 cup of olive oil for roasting the eggplant, cooking the onions and seasoning the chickpeas

Instructions
—Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
—Coat the eggplant in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of salt and toss to coat
—Roast for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant is deep brown and soft — then remove from the oven and set aside to cool
—Cook farro according to package instructions
—Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and add red onions, sauteing until light golden — about 12 minutes
—Prepare the roasted spiced chickpeas according to this recipe
—Prepare the vinaigrette according to this recipe
—After the eggplant has been roasted, the farro is cooked, the chickpeas roasted and seasoned and the vinaigrette prepared, it’s time to assemble the salad
—Place cooked farro in a large bowl and add the roasted eggplant and the cooked onion — toss until the eggplant and onions are incorporated into the farro
—Sprinkle the roasted chickpeas on top along with additional parsley
—Drizzle with 1/2 of the vinaigrette and toss until the salad is coated, put aside and let it rest for a few minutes before serving