Roasted Sweet Potato Salad w/ Farro

 

Ingredients:

Salad - sweet potato, farro, Italian parsley, fresh organic garlic

Lemon Anchovy Vinaigrette - freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, anchovies, fresh organic garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, Italian parsley

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Of course you can omit the anchovies for anyone on the fence about the flavor; although I stand by them! It adds a great depth of flavor to the vinaigrette and of course the salad. Again, after giving it a whiz in the food processor, the vinaigrette is completely emulsified and super tangy, refreshing, and yummy.

A friend of mine made a version of this sweet potato salad at a bbq last summer and I adapted her recipe to include farro. It helps had texture and soaks up the flavor of the vinaigrette to make it taste surprisingly light. I was on the hunt for some good farro recently, but found a place that sold it bulk, which cost an arm and a leg. Good ole Trader Joe's sells farro now, in a small blue bag, and you cook it just like pasta. Pour in the grain in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Rinse well with cold water and chill before combining with sweet potatoes.

The sweet potatoes are really straight forward to roast. Peel with a veggie peeler and throw on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for about 40 mins. They caramelize beautifully and come out tasting sooo sweet and sugary. Chill overnight. After both the farro and the potatoes are cool, combine with the garlic and the chopped parsley and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Again, this is a great side dish to accompany a meat-y bbq and a healthy alternative to old fashioned potato salad!