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Italian Farro Arugula Salad with Beetballs

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup farro (about 2-2 ½ cups cooked)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, peeled, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or cilantro)
  • 1 cup peeled, grated beet (about 1 medium beet)
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 cups loosely packed arugula
  • ½ cup pitted and chopped green olives
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup chopped toasted almonds or walnuts

For the dressing:

  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Cook 1 cup farro
  • Make dressing
  • Toast ½ cup nuts
  • Make the beetball mixture

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425F convection or 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle the oil onto the parchment and use a brush or your hands to spread it around to coat.
  • Add farro to a medium pot and add enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and set aside to cool.
  • In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the onion and garlic and blend until chopped up. Add in the herbs, beet, oats, chickpeas, egg, spices, and salt. Pulse/blend until evenly combined, using a damper tool encourage blending. Scrape under the blade and blend again if it’s not coming together easily.
  • Use a cookie scoop to scoop the beetballs onto the baking sheet. Roll them around in the oil on the parchment to coat.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and browned on the bottom.
  • Add all of the dressing ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously to combine.
  • In a large bowl, add farro, arugula, and olives. Add about ¼ cup of dressing and toss to coat. Top with beetballs, drizzle everything with more dressing, and sprinkle with parmesan and nuts.

Notes

Substitutions

  • To make gluten-free: use any gluten free grain or pasta in place of farro
  • To make vegan: skip the egg in the beetballs and substitute with a flax egg
  • Use any leafy green in place of arugula. Kale, mustard greens, spinach would all work.
  • Not into the beetball thing? Top with your favorite meatballs!
  • You could add anything you like in an italian-style salad - pepperoncinis, roasted bell peppers, etc...

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container
  • Beetballs: in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month
  • Farro arugula salad: in the fridge for up to 4 days

Leftovers + repurposing

  • Enjoy the salad chilled or at room temp. Warm up your beetballs in the microwave. Top with a squeeze of lemon, fresh herbs and plenty of nuts and cheese. Drizzle leftover dressing overtop. If you don’t have more dressing, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar or a squeeze of lemon.