Cucumber-Farro Bowl with Ginger-Tahini Sauce
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- Cooked Farro 3.12 cup
- Persian or English cucumbers 1 ½ lb
- Ginger-Tahini Sauce 8 tbsp
- chickpeas 2
- Chinese chili oil or the oil from Chinese chili crisp 1 ½ tbsp
- Soy
- large lime 1
- Kosher
- roasted peanuts or roasted cashews 0.33 cup
- cilantro leaves and tender stems 1 cup
- scallions 3
- roasted sesame seeds ¼ cup
- Toasted sesame oil
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 4. Not a fan of cilantro? If you have access to Thai basil, use it instead, or omit. Storage: Store the seasoned farro in the fridge separate from the seasoned chickpeas, each for 3 to 4 days. Make the cucumber salad (steps 2 and 3) fresh right before serving. The dish is great at room temperature, but you can reheat the farro and chickpeas in the microwave if preferred. Assemble the dish as listed in step 8 right before serving. Nutrition boost: Top the dish with shredded carrots or cabbage. For more protein, fold some edamame in with the chickpeas.
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1Gather: Cooked Farro , Persian or English cucumbers , Ginger-Tahini Sauce , chickpeas , Chinese chili oil or the oil from Chinese chili crisp , Soy sauce or tamari, large lime , Kosher salt, roasted peanuts or roasted cashews , cilantro leaves and tender stems , scallions , roasted sesame seeds , Toasted sesame oil .
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2Take the Cooked Farro out of the fridge to sit at room temperature. If you don’t want it to be cold, heat it up in the microwave until warm but not hot.
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3Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise (if using English cucumbers, slice them into quarters). Then slice the halves (or quarters) into 1- to 1.5-inch ( timer cm) chunks on a bias. TIP: If keeping leftovers, only make as much cucumber salad as you can eat.
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4In a bowl, combine the cucumbers with the Ginger-Tahini Sauce. Toss well to combine. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to get cozy (the water from the cucumbers will thin out the tahini sauce).
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5Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat dry with a towel. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, Chinese chili oil, a dash or two of soy sauce, and 2 tbsp of lime juice. Taste, adding salt or more soy sauce to season and more chili oil or lime juice as desired. Set aside.
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6Prepare your side salad, if you’re making one.
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7Chop the peanuts (or cashews). Chop the cilantro. Trim the roots and any bruised tops on the scallions, then thinly slice the scallions on a bias.
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8In a medium bowl, combine the Cooked Farro, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds, 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. Scatter on the peanuts (or cashews). Add a drizzle of toasted sesame oil (or Chinese chili oil). Season to taste with soy sauce/salt or lime juice as desired. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.