Asparagus Salad with Walnuts, Farro and Lemon Vinaigrette

The best parts of this herby farro asparagus salad recipe are the texture and the flavor! It’s crisp from the lightly steamed asparagus, crunchy from the walnuts, and chewy from the farro. The lemon vinaigrette is a tasty combination of citrus and freshness from the basil. Together, it’s a very satisfying and filling vegan asparagus salad.

This farro and asparagus salad recipe works great for lunch, as an everyday side dish or for the holidays, like Easter. If you’re planning on packing it for lunch, keep the fresh basil on the side and add it right before eating. Fresh basil can get a little less appealing with time, but the rest of the asparagus salad holds up very well.

Check out more UVK recipes, like Lemon Chickpea Asparagus Soup, Asparagus Potato Salad with Fresh Dill and Horseradish, Artichoke, Fennel and Farro Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Lemon Artichoke Asparagus Soup and more. And as always, thank you so very much for stopping by 💚

Asparagus Salad with Walnuts, Farro and Lemon Vinaigrette

½ cup farro

2 cups fake chicken broth

¼ cup finely chopped shallots

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

4 cups bite-size pieces of fresh asparagus

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

½ tsp dijon mustard

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp torn pieces of fresh basil

1 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts

1. Let’s start with making the farro for the asparagus salad. In a medium saucepan, add the farro and the broth. Cover, bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the farro is soft enough to enjoy eating. Drain off any excess broth, and then, set aside allowing it to cool.

2. In a small skillet, add the shallot, garlic and olive oil. When it just begins to sizzle, stir around the shallot and garlic for about 30 seconds. Then, remove the skillet from heat, and set aside to cool.

3. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water. Lower a steamer basket into it, and cover with a lid. Bring the water to a boil. Then, add the asparagus to the steamer basket and steam for 3 minutes. Remove the basket, and immediately rinse the asparagus with very cold water for 30 seconds. Then, set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled olive oil with the shallots and garlic. Then, add the lemon juice, parsley, dijon, and salt. Whisk together.

5. Add the farro, asparagus, walnuts and fresh basil to the mixing bowl. Stir together, and taste the asparagus salad. Adjust seasonings, if needed (more salt? more lemon juice?). Serve.