Earlier this week, I roasted up a big pan of veggies for some meal prep, and threw in a packet of golden beets (Badger Flame Beets, to be exact) to roast along with them.  I love roasting as a method of cooking and am a huge fan of a sheet pan dinner, but now that summer is going full force, I’ve been trying to maximize my oven time when it is in use.  Thus, a full load of veggies went in and out during an hour which kept me nicely fed throughout the week.

I boiled the faro for this salad while the veggies were in the oven roasting.  Faro and beets have similar cook times, as faro can take up to an hour if you don’t get the pre-cooked (par-boiled) kind.  I love faro for its hearty, chewy texture and rich, wheaty flavor.  It holds up super well in the fridge, making it ideal for meal prep.  In addition, it works very well with the earthiness of the beets and is delicious warm or cold.

I went for pretty bold flavors in this salad that read more fall than summer, pairing the beets and farro with caramelized onions, rice wine vinegar, and olive oil.  I ate this throughout the week on top of a big dollop of Greek yogurt, who’s creaminess paired well with the deep, earthy flavors and brought a nice creamy component to the salad.  In addition, it served as a hearty protein source, keeping me nice and full through the afternoons.

This salad was a great lunch throughout the week, and I liked that the richer, heartier flavors broke up all of the fresh zucchini that I’ve been eating in my other meals.  Perfect for meal prep, perfect to keep you full and moving throughout the day.  Recipe down below, photo up top!

Faro and Golden Beet Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 golden beets, roasted until tender
• 1 cup faro
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp rosemary, chopped
• Salt, to taste

Method:

1. Wrap beets in foil, and place in a 350F oven for about 1 hour, until completely tender.
   1. For a more detailed guide on how to roast beets, check out my post here!
2. While the beets are cooking, add the faro to a large pot or saucepan with three cups of water.  Turn the pan on high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low.  Cover the pan and allow to boil lightly until tender, about 1 hour.  Check to be sure all of the water has not evaporated out of the pan while cooking, add water back to the pan as needed.
3. Slice the onions into thin slices, and add to a saute pan with 1 tbsp olive oil.  Cook over medium low heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes. 
4. When the beets have roasted, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before handling.  Once cooled, chop into 1 inch cubes.
   1. When the faro is done cooking, remove pan from the heat, drain faro into a colander in the sink, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before handling.
   1. When the onions have caramelized, remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before handling.
5. When all of your components have cooled, add each one to a large bowl or container.  Add remaining tbsp of olive oil, rosemary, white wine vinegar, and season with salt.  Stir to combine and adjust the salt level as needed.
6. Serve with Greek yogurt or as is.  Enjoy!