This last weekend, Chris and I spent the most amazing weekend in Portland at Vida Vegan Con. There is just so much I want to share with you all, but it's going to have to wait until I fully digest all of it. In the meantime, I'm sharing this absolutely amazing roasted corn & basil farro salad.
Yesterday, as you know, was Memorial Day. Even though summer doesn't technically happen until June 21st, Memorial Day is when it begins to feel like summer to me. That's when all the windows in the house begin to stay open all day, bike rides at dusk begin to sound heavenly, and salads become a daily occurrence.
This salad is one of those salads you will want to work into your summer salad rotation. Roasting the corn kernels with smoked paprika makes for a sweetly smoky addition to the salad. I used farro, because as many of you may have gathered, I'm obsessed with this chewy and nutty little grain. Quinoa, wheat berries, millet, couscous, or even rice would work well in it's place. Fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes add a ton of flavor to this simple little salad.
I'm also a little obsessed with sherry vinegar recently. I realize that this is not an innovative new ingredient, but it's an ingredient I've recently rediscovered. It has the wonderful tartness that red wine vinegar brings to the table, but without the harsh bite. Adding a splash as my salad dressing and letting the other ingredients carry the flavor is one of my new favorite things.
Another thing I love about this salad is how quick and easy to make it is. Cook up the farro earlier in the day so it's cool by the time you want to make dinner. Then just roast the corn while you prepare the other ingredients. Ten minutes later, you have dinner ready to go on the table. And just a heads up- it's even better the next day (or the day after that)!
This corn and basil faro salad is also pretty wonderful if you want to add a can of white beans (rinsed and drained) to the mix (I would just increase the sherry vinegar a bit). It's a complete, delicious meal in one bowl. It's the kind of quick and hassle-free meal you want in the early summer so you have more time to spend the evening on the porch, enjoying the warmth and listening to the birds.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups farro, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- several dashes of pepper
- 1/2 cup basil chiffonade
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/3 cup sherry vinegar
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels, defrosted
- olive oil spray
- several dashes smoked paprika
Instructions
- Combine the farro, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer and let simmer until water is gone, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400. Spread the corn out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly spray with olive oil, sprinkle paprika, salt, and pepper, and then toss to fully coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove from heat.
- Combine the cooked and cooled farro, the roasted corn, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and sherry vinegar in a large bowl. Toss until fully combined. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Will keep for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
What do you look forward to once summer begins?
And one last thing- Do you all see that adorable little blue bowl that the salad is in? That was a gift from the lovely and so-very-talented Cadry. You must check out all of her pottery at her Etsy shop, Olive Pit Pottery.
Photography by Chris Miller
Emily - It Comes Naturally
I love the look of that salad, it would be great layered into a salad-in-a-jar made early in the week. Summer heralds walks along the seafront and on the beach after work - roll on the summer!
keepinitkind
I love that idea! This would be a perfect salad in a jar- and perfect to take to the beach this summer! 🙂
Caitlin
how fabulous! i love roasted corn in salads, and this one looks so light but filling. perfect for the beginning of summer.
and hurry up on the vvc recap(s)! i'm so sad i missed it and to read all about your experience. i hope to go next year.
keepinitkind
You were SO missed, Caitlin! If we don't meet before then, I truly hope that you get to make it to the next one. 🙂
Beth Ann Blackwood
Kristy, that looks amazing, perfect timing as I'm trying to work more whole grains in. Also jealous that you guys were in Portland, but can't wait to hear about your trip.
keepinitkind
Thanks, Beth! I will definitely be sharing soon, once I can get all of my pics & thoughts together! 🙂
Chef Amber Shea
So much fun meeting and hanging out with you this weekend!
Now that we're back home, I am SO HAPPY to be surrounded by veggies and healthy stuff again. 😉 This salad looks awesome!
keepinitkind
It was so great to meet you and Matt this weekend! I'm still looking forward to his Lionel Richie karaoke performance. 😉 And I hear you- the first thing we did when we got home, after picking up the pup, was stock up on fruits and veggies. That's all I want right now!
Liz
I love using SDTs in my dishes; they have such an umami flavor and really add something special to the finished product. The only ones I've ever used are Mediterranean Organics. As the name implies, they're organic, and not soaked in oil (I'm averse to anything that sits in oil both for taste and texture reasons). I love them, and the company seems on the up and up, which I look for more and more these days. They're CS dept. responded quickly to me, were very friendly and VERY open and honest about the production question I asked.
On another (Vida Con) note, I hope you guys took tons of pictures! I'm eagerly awaiting your post; the other bloggers' posts have been popping up already, and I can't wait to hear what your take on it was. I was so excited to hear that you went! (I must've overlooked where you said you were going.. .)
keepinitkind
I'm totally going to have ot check out Mediterranean Organics! I don't like oil-soaked SDTs (or anything for that matter) either, so they sound perfect!
I hope my recap lives up to your expectations! 😉 We took some pics, but I swear, I am just the worst when it comes to remembering to pull out my camera. I'm always so busy enjoying the moment that I forget to take a little picture to remember it. 🙂 I do have some, though, and so does Chris, so we'll get em' up as soon as we can! 🙂
Liz
Yes, please go find some Mediterranean Organics SDTs. They're actually SUN dried, and have no nasty sulfur dioxide (or other gross preservatives like potassium sorbate). They can be pricy, so I wait til they go on sale at my health food store or co-op ($2.49/bag; the cheapest I've ever seen them) and STOCK up. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 🙂
And no pressure on the VVC post! LOL I just want to hear how it all went down for you guys. 🙂
Richa
I saw the picture and was like I know that bowl:) I love the photographs so much in this post.. the gorgeous owl and the vibrant blue which i am still trying to place where I have seen that napkin:)
the salad looks so fresh and perfect! i am still mourning not being able to make it to pdx vvc.. but here's hoping i make it to one:)
keepinitkind
Thanks, Richa! Isn't the bowl lovely?! I was so excited to finally be able to use it!
And I sooooo hope you can come to the next one. It would be so great to meet you! Though, we're in talks of doing a Portland-Seattle-Victoria trip and if we make it to Seattle, we must meet up! 🙂
Richa
oh yes. definitely! we live almost in downtown, so we r right in the middle of all the touristy things 🙂 no out of the way travel required.:)
Caitlin Galer-Unti
That looks delicious, and the bowl is so beautiful!
keepinitkind
Thank you! You should totally check out Cadry's work- she has some great stuff!
I'm so bummed that we never ran in to each other at VVC! Do you have more US travel planned while you're over here?
Maria Tadic
This looks like the perfect summer salad. Especially with corn just coming into farmer's markets! Can't wait to give it a try!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Maria! Enjoy! 🙂
Hannah
In Australia, the season changes on the first of the month, so June 1st will be winter there, which means in my head it's summer here, which means this is almost perfectly timed! 😉
keepinitkind
Hahaha! I didn't realize that the seasons change on the first of the month in Australia! Good to know! 🙂
Gena
Meeting you was one of the highlights of my weekend, Kristy; sorry to creepily photograph you during the OHH session! I was starstruck 🙂
I made a barley salad similar to this with balsamic last summer, and it was fantastic. This recipe is beautiful, and farro is one of my favorite grains -- can't wait to try!
keepinitkind
It was not creepy at all! When I saw it on IG, I was like "Oh my gosh, Gena Hamshaw took my picture!!!!" I was a little starstruck myself. 🙂
I'm glad you like the salad- farro is one of my faves too! 🙂
Annie
Beautiful salad, Kristy. And I love Cadry's pottery - so cute and clever!
Jarome
Amazing salad. Love the corns.
keepinitkind
Thanks!
Lara
Wow Kristy those photos are GORGEOUS! The colourful fabric, your delicious looking salad, those basil leaves... Hats off! And Cadry's bowl looks so pretty.
I really look forward to going barefoot and spending more days outside in the sun. Additionally, I just finished school and I might be going to Canada for half a year or a full year because I simply can't decide what I want to do for a living. Whee! 🙂
Best wishes, Lara
keepinitkind
Thanks, Lara! Chris and I were both pretty proud of the way this turned out. 🙂
Congrats on finishing up school! I still can't decide what I want to do for a living and I graduated almost ten years ago. There's no rush. 😉
Gabby @ the veggie nook
I just love the addition of sundried tomatoes here! And I have never worked with sherry vinegar before. I must try it!
That dish is so cute! I'm off to check out her etsy store now!
keepinitkind
You'll love sherry vinegar- I've been using it as a dressing by itself on a lot of my salads lately. So good!
Heather
I just saw Cadry's post on the conference and it looked like an amazing time- I cant' wait to read your recap!
This salad look amazing- for us in the Northeast Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of Summer 🙂 With the heat Justin and I are all about summer salads, loving the idea of adding white beans 🙂
keepinitkind
A big ol' salad is my summer meal of choice. I could eat one every day (and usually do!). 😉
Courtney @ The Fig Tree
This is so pretty! Love the photos. And the salad looks delicious! I love corn, basil and farro. Sounds pretty perfect!
keepinitkind
Thank you- it is a pretty wonderful combination. I can't wait to make it again! 🙂