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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
40 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
Farro, an ancient grain with a nutty flavor and a dense texture and bite, is ideal for grain salad bowls like this one as it excels in soaking up dressing and is hearty without being heavy. Here, it’s tossed with a lemon-tahini dressing while hot and then mixed with broccoli and olives. The olives appear in two forms, first blistered along with the bite-sized pieces of broccoli in the pan, and then raw to add more texture and different flavors. Cooking the olives softens their bite while enhancing their flavors, making them plump and juicy. I love the mix of the two. Finished with a sprinkling of feta and quickie lime-pickled red onions, the dish gains an extra bit of creaminess and acidic crunch. Make it for dinner tonight and save some for lunch the next day.
Some housekeeping:
Use the farro cooking time to cut the onion and broccoli to be more efficient as you’ll have down time as it cooks. If you like a more pickled onion, then you can pickle it first so it sits longer with the lime juice.
The important thing here is to cut the broccoli into tiny pieces so that they cook quickly: think trunkless treetops when you look at them and ones you can truly eat in a bite. You can cook the stems, too, just add them to the pan a little earlier or cook separately if it’s too crowded.
To smash olives: On a cutting board, press the heel of your hand on the flat side of your knife to flatten the olive. The pit will either pop out or you can remove the flesh with your fingers. —yasminfahr
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Watch This Recipe
Burnt Broccoli Farro With Smashed Olives
Ingredients
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Kosher salt
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1 cup
pearled farro, rinsed
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1
small red onion, thinly sliced
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1/4 cup
freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
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5 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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1
small head broccoli, florets cut into small, bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)
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1 cup
castelvetrano olives, smashed and pits removed, divided
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1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
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1 tablespoon
tahini
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1/2 cup
crumbled feta
Directions
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Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the farro and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Let cook, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until the farro is soft and not chewy, about 30 minutes. Drain and return to the pot or to a serving bowl.
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Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the red onions with the lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt (they won’t be submerged, and that’s okay). Set aside at room temperature and toss occasionally.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, add the broccoli and half the olives, season with salt and red-pepper flakes, stir and then let sit in an even layer untouched for 3 minutes, then turn over and cook until the broccoli is browned on the other side and fork tender and the olives blistered in spots, 2 to 3 minutes more. (Larger pieces will take longer.) Set aside until the farro is done.
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Transfer 2 tablespoons of liquid from the pickled onions to a small mixing bowl or in the bottom of a serving bowl. Combine with the tahini and 3 tablespoons olive oil, whisking until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Pour the dressing over the farro in the pot or transfer it to the serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Season with salt as needed. Add the broccoli, cooked olives and remaining olives, then top with the feta and pickled onions.
Yasmin is a recipe developer and cookbook author. Her first book, Keeping it Simple, is full of easy, weeknight one-pot recipes. Say hi to her online @yasminfahr!
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