Warm Vegan Farro Salad With Roasted Crimini Mushrooms, Asparagus, Red Bell Peppers And Leeks

This warm Farro Salad is packed with veggies and is less than 200 calories per serving!

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Farro
Farro, or Triticum dicoccum (it's Latin name), is a whole grain in the wheat family. It is often mistaken for spelt but is actually more similar to barley with its wonderful, chewy texture. Unfortunately it is not gluten free but it is rich in protein and fiber and contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. 
If you have the time, soak farro overnight. It will shorten the cooking time and reduce phytic acid which can bind important minerals. But for culinary purposes, this isn't necessary so if you forget to soak it, just rinse well and cook it a bit longer. 
Here's a warm salad with mushrooms and lots of veggies. I cook them all in a single roasting pan so clean up is minimal. 

Farro is similar to barley with its chewy texture.

Roast mushrooms and veggies in a large shallow pan.

Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Vegan
[makes 6 servings]


For the farro
1 cup farro 
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt for water


For the roasted vegetables
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, 1/2" slices
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 pound crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 cup sliced leeks, bulb and lower leaf portion
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil


For the salad 
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


Rinse farro well and place in a saucepan with salted water. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer, cover and cook until it reaches the desired texture (30 to 45 minutes if unsoaked). 


Place asparagus, bell pepper, mushrooms, leeks, thyme, garlic, pepper and salt in a large, shallow roasting pan. Drizzle oil over the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Roast in oven for about 25 minutes stirring the mixture half way through. When done, remove from oven.


In a small cup, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil and salt. Set aside.


Place cooked farro, roasted vegetables, dressing and chopped parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Top with additional parsley or freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve warm.


Per serving. 198.4 calories, 5.3 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9.0 g protein, 31.5 g carbohydrates, 7.0 g dietary fiber and 301 mg sodium.