Spring Asparagus Orange Farro Salad: Your Ultimate Fresh & Healthy Meal
Embrace the vibrant flavors of the season with this incredibly refreshing and satisfying Asparagus Orange Farro Salad. This dish is a true celebration of Spring, bringing together a delightful medley of textures and tastes. Imagine tender boiled new potatoes, crisp raw asparagus, and delightfully chewy farro, all harmoniously blended with peppery scallions, salty feta, and savory crispy bacon. Each ingredient is then lovingly tossed in a bright, zesty orange vinaigrette, creating a mouthful of pure springtime bliss.
Spring in a Bowl: Why This Salad is a Must-Try
This isn’t just a salad; it’s practically “Spring in a Bowl.” The secret weapon? A truly exceptional orange vinaigrette. It’s so bright and lively, it feels like liquid sunshine, infusing every bite with a cheerful, zesty tang. More than just delicious, this salad is healthy, light, and yet wonderfully filling, providing the perfect energy boost to power you through any Spring day.
Forget your old routine; this Asparagus Orange Farro Salad is everything you need for the season – well, almost everything. While it might not come with new shoes or that fabulous new purse you’ve been eyeing, it will certainly satisfy your cravings for fresh, wholesome, and exciting food!
The Irresistible Addition of Bacon
And yes, you read that right: we’ve invited bacon to this Spring party! Why? Because, frankly, bacon needs no reason. It adds an unparalleled salty crunch and a depth of smoky flavor that elevates this salad from delicious to absolutely divine. While I often lean towards vegetarian meals, especially working in a steakhouse where meat is abundant, the crispy bacon here is a game-changer. It provides a delightful counterpoint to the fresh vegetables and bright dressing, making every forkful an exciting culinary adventure.
Elevate Your Meal: Serving Suggestions and Variations
While this salad is phenomenal on its own, it also pairs beautifully with various proteins. For a truly unforgettable meal, consider serving it alongside my Foolproof Rosemary Chicken. The smoky notes of the chicken would be absolutely amazing with the bright flavors of the salad.
For an extra boost of healthy fats and protein, I highly recommend adding sliced avocado on top. For those who know me, it’s no secret that avocados are a non-negotiable in my kitchen – they add a luscious creaminess that ties everything together perfectly.
The Beauty of Make-Ahead Meals and Entertaining
One of the best features of this Asparagus Orange Farro Salad is its fantastic flexibility for meal prep. You can prepare all the individual components ahead of time, storing them separately in the refrigerator, and then simply assemble everything when you’re ready to eat. This makes it an ideal choice for an easy weekday lunch, a light yet satisfying dinner, or a fabulous side dish for any gathering.
Why stick with the same old potato salad? Surprise your friends and family with this vibrant, unique salad at your next block party or BBQ! Its fresh appeal and unexpected flavor combinations are guaranteed to be a hit and get everyone talking.
Decoding the Delicious Ingredients
Let’s dive a little deeper into the stars of this show and why each ingredient plays such a crucial role in creating this spectacular salad:
Fresh New Potatoes: The Hearty Base
New potatoes, with their thin skins and creamy texture, provide a comforting and substantial base for this salad. Unlike starchy baking potatoes, new potatoes hold their shape beautifully after boiling and absorb the dressing wonderfully. We use a mix of red and white skins for visual appeal and a slight variation in texture, ensuring each bite is interesting and satisfying.
Chewy Farro: The Ancient Grain Powerhouse
Farro, an ancient grain, is celebrated for its delightful chewy texture and nutty flavor. It’s also packed with fiber and protein, making this salad incredibly fulfilling and nutritious. Cooking farro perfectly is key to its appeal – you want it al dente, not mushy. It adds a wonderful depth and substance that sets this salad apart from lighter, purely vegetable-based options.
Crispy Asparagus: The Essence of Spring
Asparagus is the quintessential Spring vegetable, bringing a fresh, slightly earthy, and pleasantly bitter note to the dish. Using thin stalks of raw asparagus ensures a wonderful crispness that contrasts beautifully with the other textures. If you can only find thicker stalks, a quick blanch in boiling water followed by an ice bath will achieve a tender-crisp texture without any unpleasant woodiness.
Peppery Scallions & Salty Feta: Flavor Boosters
Scallions (green onions) add a mild, peppery onion flavor without overpowering the other delicate tastes. They provide a fresh aromatic kick. Feta cheese, with its distinct tangy, salty, and crumbly nature, offers a burst of Mediterranean flavor that perfectly complements the sweetness of the orange and the richness of the bacon. These two ingredients work in tandem to create layers of flavor that keep you coming back for more.
Kale: The Super Green Touch
Chopped kale adds an extra layer of nutrition, texture, and a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness of the dressing and oranges. When massaged slightly (or simply chopped finely), kale softens beautifully, integrating seamlessly into the salad without being too tough. It boosts the salad’s overall health profile, making it even more of a wholesome meal.
The Bright and Beautiful Orange Vinaigrette
This salad wouldn’t be complete without its signature dressing. The Orange Honey Vinaigrette is a masterpiece of balance – combining the bright, citrusy notes of orange juice with the tartness of apple cider vinegar and the mellow sweetness of honey. Walnut oil adds a subtle nutty richness, tying all the flavors together.
Creating this dressing is incredibly simple, whether you use a measuring cup and a whisk or an immersion blender for a quicker emulsification. While it won’t stay perfectly emulsified without additional stabilizers, a quick shake before pouring is all it needs. This vibrant dressing truly acts as the “liquid happiness” that transforms all the individual components into a cohesive and unforgettable Spring salad.
Spring Asparagus Orange Farro Salad
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Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 ½ lbs new potatoes I used a mixture of red skins and white skins
- 1 ½ cups uncooked farro
- 10 slices thick cut smoked bacon or turkey bacon
- 1 bunch scallions dark green part cut on bias
- 1 bunch asparagus thin stalks
- 10 stalks kale cleaned, ribs removed and chopped
- Orange suprêmes fancy French for slices of orange without the pith or connective tissue
- Feta cheese
- Avocado [Optional]
- Foolproof Rosemary Chicken [Optional]
- Orange Honey Dressing
- Salt & Pepper to taste
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup orange juice no pulp please
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup walnut oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Salad:
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Boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender. Shock in ice water to stop the cooking process and also to cool them quickly.
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Meanwhile cook farro with 1 ½ cups cold water, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 large pinches of kosher salt. Bring to a boil uncovered, reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the grains are chewy.
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Meanwhile, cut bacon into ½ inch pieces using a knife or kitchen shears. Cook over medium heat until almost all the fat has been rendered. Drain fat and reserve for another use, and pour bacon onto a paper towel to cool. Crumble.
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While potatoes, farro and bacon are cooking, slice the asparagus, cut the oranges, chop the scallions, chop the kale, cut the avocadoes, and make the dressing.
For the Dressing:
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Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup or blender. Blend together using an immersion blender or standard blender. Taste, adjust seasoning, and set aside.
For the Salad Assembly:
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Throw everything in a bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss with half the dressing; taste and adjust seasoning and dressing as needed.
Notes
If you cannot find thin stalked asparagus, you will need to blanch it. Drop asparagus in boiling water for 30 seconds then shock in cold water. They will still be crispy but not unbearably woody.
You can make everything ahead of time and store them separately in the refrigerator. I usually chop the kale, slice the asparagus and cut the avocado right before assembly. The bacon can be stored airtight at room temperature.
Nutrition
Final Thoughts on Your Spring Culinary Adventure
This Asparagus Orange Farro Salad is more than just a recipe; it’s an experience. It’s about bringing the freshness and vitality of Spring directly to your plate, combining wholesome ingredients with an invigorating dressing. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a home cook looking for something new and exciting, this salad offers an easy yet elegant solution.
We encourage you to experiment with it. While the recipe is perfect as is, feel free to add other seasonal vegetables like radishes for an extra peppery crunch, or toasted nuts for more texture. It’s a versatile dish that adapts to your preferences and what’s fresh at your local market.
So, go ahead and gather your ingredients, enjoy the process of bringing this beautiful salad to life, and savor every single bite. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and a healthy addition to any meal plan.
Share Your Creation!
We’d love to see how your Spring Asparagus Orange Farro Salad turns out! Don’t forget to leave a comment below with your thoughts or any creative twists you added. Your feedback helps us grow and inspires other home cooks. Happy cooking!