Peas, Please!
It’s no secret that peas are not anywhere near my favorite vegetable. In my mind, when I envision peas, I think of the brown, mushy peas you get at your school cafeteria. They’re still not my favorite, but I’ve come to appreciate them in certain recipes and one of those is this Spring Pea Farro Salad. Farro is tossed with peas, snap peas, arugula, pickled red onions, and goat cheese. It’s then served with jammy eggs and a shallot vinaigrette. I used to work at a cafe and this was a seasonal spring menu item. I love that the peas are bright and have a firm “pop.” This salad is so fresh and delicious with all the other ingredients that I actually don’t even mind the peas. It really is the perfect dish for the spring and summer.
A Simple Spring Salad
To make the shallot vinaigrette, add the diced shallot, dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, champagne vinegar, and olive oil into a bowl. Mix everything together until well combined and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set it aside. Moving onto the salad, cook the farro according to the package directions. Once cooked, spread it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place it in the fridge to chill.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently add in the eggs and boil them for 7 minutes. When the eggs finish cooking, submerge them in the bowl of ice water. Let them chill for 10 minutes before peeling the shell off. Set them aside.
When the farro has chilled, add it into a large bowl along with the snap peas, thawed peas, pickled red onion, arugula, and mint. Pour some of the shallot vinaigrette over top and toss the salad together until everything is evenly combined. Taste and add more dressing or salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the salad to your serving platter then crumble the goat cheese on top. Slice the eggs in half and nestle them into the salad. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.
A Fresh Start
I love this Spring Farro Salad because it’s so easy and packed with flavor. This dish really allows the ingredients’ natural flavors and textures shine. While the flavors are fresh and clean, they’re also well balanced with the creaminess of the jammy eggs and goat cheese. They add that bite of indulgence our hearts are looking for. Before this, I’ve never really had peas in a fresh and cold dish. Often times, peas are overcooked when served warm, so you don’t really see what they add to the dish. However, when I first tried this Spring Pea Farro Salad, I was really surprised by the lovely sweetness and textural pop the peas added. So if you’re looking to change your mindset on peas, this recipe is a great place to start!
Spring Pea Farro Salad
Ingredients
For the Shallot Vinaigrette:
- 1 Small Shallot (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- ½ tbsp Honey
- 1 ½ tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Champagne Vinegar
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- Pinch of Salt and Pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 cup Dry Farro (3 cups cooked)
- 4 Eggs
- 1 ¼ cup Snap Peas (sliced on a bias)
- ½ cup Frozen Peas (thawed)
- ½ cup Pickled Red Onion
- 3 cups Arugula
- ½ cup Roughly Chopped Mint
- 3-4 oz Merediths Goat Cheese or Regular Goat Cheese
Instructions
For the Shallot Vinaigrette:
- Add all of the ingredients into a bowl. Mix until combined and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
For the Salad:
- Cook the farro according to the package directions. Once cooked, Spread it on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place it in the fridge to chill.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently add in the eggs. Boil for 7 minutes. When the eggs finish cooking, submerge them in the bowl of ice water. Let them chill for 10 minutes before peeling the shell off. Set them aside.
- When the farro has chilled, add it into a large bowl along with the snap peas, thawed peas, pickled red onion, arugula, and mint. Pour some of the shallot vinaigrette over top and toss the salad together until everything is evenly combined. Taste and add more dressing or salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the salad to your serving platter then crumble the goat cheese on top. Slice the eggs in half and nestle them into the salad. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
