Spring Grain Salad with Asparagus and Goat Cheese
Bright and fresh, this grain salad with farro and couscous is perfect for warm days. Crisp-tender asparagus pairs perfectly with tangy goat cheese. Use this as a side at dinner, or make it on Sunday for lunches throughout the week.
I love this time of year. My peony has grown about a foot in the past week, and I’m eagerly watching the buds for the first sign of blooms. Eric and I have been planning our garden, and my little girl has asked nearly every day when we’ll have “orange matoes” (that’s Sungold tomatoes) again. She’s excitedly pointed out every tree in our neighborhood that’s bloomed with flowers. We’ve spent loads of time outside lately.
You’d think warmer weather and longer days would mean more posting here, but this time of year has the opposite effect on me. I’d rather be playing outside or going on a post-dinner walk than trying to photograph food. I love writing and sharing recipes with all of you, but I’m so fed up with the inauthenticity that exists on social media and blogs. I get less enjoyment when I feel this way. That’s not how I want to feel in this space.
Let’s talk about this salad that’s full of ingredients I love. It’s a wonderful springtime side, and also works just as well as an easy lunch. Fresh and bright, it’s perfect for warmer days. We couldn’t get enough of it. I made it as a side to spatchcock lemon chicken, and we enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next couple of days.
This would be great for an outdoor party because it’s not laden in a creamy sauce. Instead, it has a light dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. I also think it would be fantastic with peas instead of, or in addition to, the asparagus. You can also swap out the grains for your favorite kind, but I loved this combo of pearled couscous and nutty farro.
- YIELD: 6-8 as a side
1¼ cups pearled farro
1¼ cups pearl couscous
2 lemons
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Want to turn this into a main dish? Add a can of drained and rinsed white beans and serve over a bed of lightly dressed arugula or your favorite greens.
- 1
Cook the farro and couscous according to package directions. Once cooked, spread them on a large baking sheet lined with a nonstick mat and set aside to cool. Zest the lemons over the top of the grains.
- 2
Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the asparagus for about 2 minutes, until just barely crisp-tender.
- 3
Whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of oil and juice from both lemons in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the cooled grains along with the asparagus, almonds and goat cheese in the bowl and toss to coat.
Perfect for Spring. This salad sounds incredible!
You and your blog seem pretty authentic to me 😉
Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Thank you! That means a lot to me.
YES YES YES to being fed up with inauthenticity. I mean, what’s the point of writing if you’re just going to portray yourself and your life as something that it’s not. We can only control ourselves, though, in the end. Love this wholesome grain salad. This is my favorite way to eat at this time of year!
Yes, exactly! I know we can’t control what anyone else does (here, or in the real world), but I just wish I could take things I read at face value. Does that make sense? I should probably stop overthinking this. 😉
This could serve for more than a salad. It could easily be considered a side dish for a whole meal. Really nice and different salad idea.