Farro salad with arugula, spinach & dried cherries

Summer is a perfect time of year to enjoy grain salads. If you've got a picnic, potluck or just want something delicious for dinner, look no further! This salad combines farro, fresh spinach, arugula and dried cherries in a simple orange dressing. It can be made ahead of time or a few hours before your next soiree.Farro is a a versatile ancient whole grain that's high in fiber and protein. It's cooked like rice, but needs 3:1 fluid to grain. It can be cooked in chicken or vegetable broth for a savory taste, or cooked in water and seasoned afterwards. Since it takes a good 30-minutes to cook, I suggest cooking a large batch and using it in multiple dishes. The salad can "stand alone" or grilled chicken, fish or shrimp can be added to make it a complete meal. Bob's Red Mill provided farro samples for this recipe. I brought it to a recent party and it was a hit! #samples #client

Ingredients:

1 cup farro cooked according to directions2 cups baby spinach2 cups arugula1/4 cup chopped red onions1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)1/4 cup orange juice1/4 cup olive oil 

Directions:

Cook farro according to directions and set aside to cool in a large mixing bowl.Once farro has cooled, add spinach, arugula, chopped onions, feta cheese, dried cherries and pepitas.Whisk together orange juice and olive oil into a dressing.Pour dressing over the salad and toss it.

Makes 6 servings. Nutrition facts per serving: 217 calories, 12.8 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 5.6 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium.