Farro, corn, chickpea and avocado salad with chipotle lime dressing

Name: Farro, corn, chickpea and avocado salad with chipotle lime dressing
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 2 corn cobs; 2-3 avocados, hulled, 1 avocado finely sliced, the other/s quartered or coarsely cut into chunks; 1 cup farro; 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock; 400g can chickpeas, rinsed thoroughly; 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely sliced; 1 cup mixed salad leaves (I used smaller leaves to minimise chopping – baby spinach and salad burnett); 1 cup mixed herbs (I used dill, oregano and basil)

Katrina Meynink

December 23, 2020

There's no shortage of avocado in this grain salad.Katrina Meynink

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:6

The nutty farro grains are a perfect contrasting accompaniment to the sweet kernels of corn and the soft creamy avocado. Go heavy on the avo, there is always a friend (or three) among us who hoards the avocado from the salad, take care of them. It also makes this a luxurious and a textural wonderland – as all good salads should be.

Ingredients

2 corn cobs
2-3 avocados, hulled, 1 avocado finely sliced, the other/s quartered or coarsely cut into chunks
1 cup farro
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
400g can chickpeas, rinsed thoroughly
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely sliced
1 cup mixed salad leaves (I used smaller leaves to minimise chopping – baby spinach and salad burnett)
1 cup mixed herbs (I used dill, oregano and basil)

Dressing

juice and zest of 2 limes
1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly ground
1 tsp coriander seeds, roughly ground
1 heaped tsp ground chipotle
125ml olive oil
1½ tsp caster sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed

Method

Step 1
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust the lime juice until happy with how acidic it is, remembering that the corn in the salad is naturally quite sweet. Set aside until ready to serve.
Step 2
Add the farro and stock to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the farro has just cooked through, it will still have some bite. Strain, season generously with salt and pepper, and allow to cool before adding to a large bowl.
Step 3
Slice the kernels from one corn cob directly into the bowl of farro. Add the chickpeas and stir gently.
Step 4
Preheat a chargrill pan over high heat. Par-boil the second cob of corn in a saucepan of simmering salted water over medium-high heat for 5 minutes and drain well. Transfer to the chargrill pan and cook, turning often, until the corn has charred in spots, about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Slice the charred kernels into the salad and add the remaining salad leaves and herbs. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Add the avocado and very gently, using salad servers, incorporate into the salad. Taste for seasoning and serve.