Farro & Asparagus Salad with Feta & Charred Lemon

episode #112 of 30-minute budget meals

Good afternoon! I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend! I spent most of the 4th cooking, and by the end of the day, I was exhausted. I was hoping to take a swim in my parents’ pool, but I spent most of the time in the kitchen, which was totally fine with me, honestly, because I was testing out quite a few cookbook recipes. It was nice to have family hanging around while I cooked, and then we all ate together for dinner in the end. So, no complaints here.

Sunday I planned to take it easy after being on my feet for so long, but Grant and I (and Sagan, of course) ending up meeting some friends last minute by the beach, and it was such a gorgeous day and a lovely hang. We capped it all off with some Salt and Straw ice cream, and then I was up and at ‘em early this morning! BEFORE the baby, which sometimes feels like a crime. In the summer, my body definitely starts to sync with the sun, but thankfully, I got enough sleep and took some quiet time to clean out our kitchen drawers and workout. So again, no complaints here!

This week’s 30-minute meal is my favorite kind of meal: simple, minimal ingredients that pair together beautifully to taste like something special. You don’t even have to assemble a dressing for this one. I took one extra step to char the lemon here, which helps bring out its juices and makes it less tart. You just squeeze the lemon into the salad along with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and the result is perfection. The torn basil really adds a nice touch as well.

If you use regular farro, this will take you a bit longer than 30-minutes, so I would recommend a quick-cook farro OR you can substitute with quinoa for even faster prep.

RECIPE!

Farro & Asparagus Salad with Feta & Charred Lemon

Ingredients (serves 2)