Simple and Healthy Farro and Roasted Beetroot Salad

Simple and healthy farro and roasted beetroot salad with a fresh yogurt and mint dressing.

It’s a beautiful day outside, and I’m about to embark on my least favourite activity. I’m going to the mall. Well, several malls. It’s all for ‘inspiration’, for decorating some little people’s bedroom. To be honest, I feel slightly superfluous to requirements here. Home decor has never been my strong point. I know rooms/houses I like, and I know rooms/houses I don’t. How to put them together is beyond my simple skills. Sadly, the prospect of a lovely rustic wooden cottage in the country doesn’t exactly meet our budget at this time.

So instead, today’s trip includes British hotspots of Mothercare, Mama’s and Papa’s and John Lewis. All great stores, but I feel the plastic in my wallet is about to take a bit of a beating.

In any case, it isn’t just our house that is being rapidly spruced up. We are both trying to figure out what our routines will look like in the future. How we can avoid the trap of eating easy, if not just plain unhealthy, foods. How we will still stay sane (ha). For my part, I’ve used the last month or so to try out some more easy and healthy recipes. OK, and some not so healthy recipes if my Instagram feed is to be believed. One recent winner was my farro and beetroot salad.

It was a such a simple, and rather inexpensive (win!) salad to make. The key is the need for fresh ingredients. The beetroots are peeled and quartered, seasoned and roasted in the oven until the rawness is cooked out of them, with just a touch of honey. Then, cover them in foil and place in the fridge overnight if you like (or serve them warm if you like). In the meantime, you cook up some farro. I love grains like farro, they feel substantial when you eat them. It is the same reason I love barley.

Anyway, assembly this farro and roasted beetroot salad is so easy. Farro on a plate, followed by beetroot, then a sprinkling of fresh mint, dill and pomegranate seeds. Finally, a drizzle of yogurt dressing. Yogurt, with sumac, pepper and some lemon juice. Such a fresh burst to accompany the heavy farro and beetroot. So there you have it, my farro and beetroot salad. A healthy, simple, if not beautiful looking, salad.

Pairings

Drinks

I love this with some water and a bit of lemon. Something nice and fresh. Maybe even some sparkling water.

Music

I’ve been on a bit of a classic rock bent recently, as my students can attest to. So, Fleetwood Mac’s Go your own way is perfect with this!

Farro and Roasted Beetroot Salad

Farro and Roasted Beetroot Salad

Simple and healthy farro and roasted beetroot salad with a fresh yogurt and mint dressing.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 3-4 beetroot peeled and quartered
• 2-3 cups farro cooked to packet instructions
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1 lemon juiced
• Bunch of dill and mint
• Pepper
• Salt
• ½ pomegranate - seeds only!
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Two sprigs of thyme

Instructions

 

• Heat your oven to about 180C. In a bowl, mix the beetroot, olive oil and honey. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Toss to combine with the thyme, and then place on a roasting pan. Roast for about 45-60min, until they are tender. Cool.
• Mix the yogurt, with lemon juice, zest and sumac and some pepper.
• On a plate, layer your fresh cooked (read hot!) farro, followed by your roasted beetroot. Drizzle the yogurt dressing over top. Finally, sprinkle over the pomegranate, dill and mint. Serve quick.