KITCHEN CURATIONS: FARO AND SPINACH SALAD WITH ROASTED CARROT, FIG, AND PISTACHIO

I know this may sound sad, but I literally dream about this salad...and there is a pretty good chance you will understand why once you try it. Let's start with the faro. If you haven't tried faro, well then, you seriously need to get on that! It cooks just like rice, but when it's done, you get this nutty toothsome bite that almost resembles al dente pasta. In fact, the nuttiness from the faro is perfectly mirrored by the pistachios that are sprinkled throughout the salad. Then we have the smoky sweetness of the Indian-spiced carrots, which works perfectly with the sweetness of the dried figs. Finished with the apple cider vinaigrette, this salad is a sure-fire hit. (You can even add some crumbled goat cheese or grilled chicken on top, if you want an extra protein boost.)

INGREDIENTS:

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Salad:

• 6 large carrots, peeled 
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp coriander, ground
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cup cooked farro
• 2 cup baby spinach
• 1 cup pistachios, unsalted and shelled 
• 8 dried figs, quartered

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Coat carrots in olive oil, coriander, cumin, curry, and salt. 
3. Roast carrots in oven for 45 minutes, or until tender.
4. When cooled, cut carrots into 1 inch pieces. 
5. In a bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until liquid is emulsified.
6. In a separate bowl, combine faro, spinach, roasted carrots, pistachios, and figs.
7. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and mix until it is lightly coated throughout.

A note about this recipe: You may notice that I used rainbow carrots for the version in the picture, but orange carrots are perfectly fine - they taste exactly the same.