If you’ve ever waited too long to fill out a potluck sign-up sheet, you might have gotten stuck bringing the salad. Casseroles and desserts are always nabbed first, because “potluck salad” sounds like an oxymoron. Leafy greens, dressed and left to sit out for hours? Bringing the cutlery sounds more appealing. But this grain salad is here to change the game. Not only is it the very best salad you can bring to a potluck, but it also might just be the best dish there, period. It’s a welcome reprieve from overly heavy mac and cheese or brownies, and will catch everyone’s eye with its vibrant array of colors. Trust me — once you take your first bite (and are inundated with compliments), you’ll put your name by the salad spot every single time.
Ingredients
- 1 pound
farro (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1/3 cup
plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-
Kosher salt
- 2 cloves
garlic
- 1/4 cup
red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon
dried oregano
-
Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces
Castelvetrano olives (1 1/2 cups), or 10 ounces pitted Castelvetrano olives
- 4 ounces
peppadew peppers (1 cup); use multi-colored if you can find them
- 8
large pickled pepperoncinis
- 12 ounces
multi-colored cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
- 12 ounces
bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), drained (2 cups)
- 1 cup
loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup
loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Description
-
Cook the farro (yields 6 to 7 cups cooked farro): Place 2 1/2 cups farro in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse under cool running water, and set aside to drain. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 6-quart or larger pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the farro and toast, stirring often, until golden and nutty-smelling, about 4 minutes. Pour in 12 cups water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook uncovered until the the farro is tender but has a slight chew in the center, 10 to 15 minutes for pearled and 25 to 30 minutes for semi-pearled. (This is a good time to make the dressing.) Drain and spread onto a large baking sheet to cool.
