Toasted Farro Wedge Salad with Dairy-Free Ranch

Directions

1. Make the farro: In a small pot, add the farro and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and add a generous pinch of salt to the boiling water. Give the farro and salt a stir and lower the heat to a simmer. Let the farro cook until tender but with a slight chew, about 12 minutes after it begins to boil.
2. Drain and set aside to cool. Farro can be cooked up to a few days in advance and stored in the fridge till ready to proceed with the remaining recipe.
3. While the farro cooks, make the dressing. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the oatmilk, and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and set aside. Add the mayonnaise, garlic or garlic powder and nutritional yeast to a food processor. With the processor running, stream in the oatmilk mixture, and let the machine run till you have a smooth dressing. Add half of the fresh herbs, pulse to combine, leaving little flecks of herbs in the dressing. Taste the dressing and adjust with more lemon juice if needed, salt and pepper to taste. Dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and held in an airtight container in the fridge.
4. Prep the salad. In a large skillet over medium heat, crisp 4 slices of thick cut bacon, flipping occasionally until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cool, chop the bacon into small, irregular bits. Leave the remaining bacon drippings in the pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the cooled farro back to the pan in an even layer (you may need to do this in batches), toast the farro, stirring here and there and adding a little extra olive oil if needed to the pan if it seems dry. Cook until the farro takes on a little color and smells toasty, repeat with the remaining farro if necessary. Set aside and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
5. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes from their oil and slice into thin strips about a quarter-inch thick and set aside. On a cutting board slice the little gems or romaine heads in half lengthwise, starting from the stem to the top of the leaf. Place two little gem halves on each plate, or one romaine half if using.
6. Top each half with a generous amount of the ranch dressing. Divide the sun dried tomato pieces, crispy bacon bits, and the toasted farro equally among the dishes. Finish with a generous amount of chopped fresh herbs, salt, and fresh pepper. Serve with creamy ranch dressing on the side to add as you eat.