Cucumber-Farro Bowl with Chickpeas & Tahini Sauce
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- Cooked Farro 2 ½ cup
- shelled edamame 12 oz
- Persian or English cucumbers 1 ½ lb
- Ginger-Tahini Sauce ½ cup
- chickpeas 1
- Chinese chili oil or the oil from Chinese chili crisp 0.5-1.5 tbsp
- soy sauce or tamari ¼ tsp
- medium limes 2
- Kosher
- Drizzle of agave nectar
- roasted peanuts or cashews 0.33 cup
- cilantro leaves and tender stems 1 cup
- scallions 3
- roasted sesame seeds ¼ cup
- Drizzle
If you love this Ginger-Tahini Sauce, add leftovers on top of any roasted veggies, or grain bowls, or try my smashed potatoes recipe. If you didn’t buy Chinese chili oil, use toasted sesame oil (start with 1 tbsp). For heat, stir some chili flakes into the chickpeas when you marinate them in step 5. Not a fan of cilantro? Simply omit. Or if you have access to Thai basil, use it. Storage: Store the seasoned farro in the fridge separate from the seasoned chickpeas & edamame, each for 3 to 4 days. Make the cucumber salad (steps 3 and 4) fresh right before serving. The dish is great at room temperature, but you can reheat the farro and chickpeas & edamame in the microwave if preferred. Assemble the dish as listed in the last step right before serving, topping with more chopped cilantro if you have any. Nutrition boost: Top the dish with shredded carrots, cabbage, or chopped red/yellow/orange bell pepper.
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1Gather: Cooked Farro , shelled edamame , Persian or English cucumbers , Ginger-Tahini Sauce , chickpeas , Chinese chili oil or the oil from Chinese chili crisp , soy sauce or tamari , medium limes , Kosher salt, Drizzle of agave nectar , roasted peanuts or cashews , cilantro leaves and tender stems , scallions , roasted sesame seeds , Drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
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2Take the Cooked Farro out of the fridge to sit at room temperature. If preferred, heat it up in the microwave until warm but not hot.
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3Cook the edamame using the package instructions, or simply defrost: add to a bowl of hot water and rest until thawed. Drain in a colander and shake to dry.
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4Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise (if using English cucumbers, slice them into quarters). Then slice the halves (or quarters) into 1- to 1 ½-inch ( timer cm) chunks on a bias. Add to a large bowl. TIP: If keeping leftovers, only make as much cucumber salad as you can eat.
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5Toss the cucumbers with the Ginger-Tahini Sauce until well combined. Set aside to allow the flavors to get cozy (the water from the cucumbers will thin out the tahini sauce).
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6Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat dry with a towel. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, defrosted edamame, Chinese chili oil, a dash or two of soy sauce, and 2 tbsp lime juice. Taste, adding salt or more soy sauce to season, more chili oil for heat, or lime juice for tang. If it’s too spicy for your taste, add a drizzle of agave nectar. Set aside.
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7Prepare the other ingredients. Chop the peanuts (or cashews). Chop the cilantro. Trim the roots and any bruised tops on the scallions, then thinly slice on a bias.
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8In a medium bowl, combine the Cooked Farro, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds if using, and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine. Transfer to a large plate or serving platter.
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9Assemble: Toss the cucumber salad, then plate it over the seasoned farro, including any tahini sauce in the bowl. Add the marinated chickpeas & edamame. Scatter on the peanuts (or cashews). Add a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Season to taste with soy sauce/salt or lime juice as desired.