Chopped Broccoli, Green Bean, and Farro Salad with Walnuts

This salad situation reminds me of my friend Aunt Gertrude, who many years ago stood in my kitchen and taught me to cook chopped broccoli in garlic and olive oil. It was her favorite way to eat broccoli, and it was the first thing I could stomach cooking when I was pregnant and sick with my second baby. When Aunt Gertrude was sick, I brought that same broccoli to her. Her recipe wasn’t a salad, but I think this Chopped Broccoli, Green Bean, and Farro Salad with Walnuts is sort of an updated version of Aunt Gertrude’s broccoli.

Chopped Broccoli, Green Bean, and Farro Salad with Walnuts is what I want to eat every day. Between crisp, chopped veggies, chewy farro, crunchy walnuts, and salty pecorino romano, this salad has everything over a bag of chips, and I would choose this salad every time. One hundred percent. In her “Smitten Kitchen” blog (I think there must be a new name for these things, but we all know what we’re talking about), Deb Perelman gives us a recipe for Broccoli Rubble Farro Salad. It’s one that I’ve always wanted to try but never did until now, but I’m oh-so-glad I did. I made hardly a change, but I did add chopped-up bits of green beans and toasty walnut pieces. I had planned to throw in a few herbs – dill, basil, maybe parsley – but then I tasted it pre-herb and decided it was pretty perfect as-is. I think Aunt Gertrude would have liked it.

Chopped Broccoli, Green Bean, and Farro Salad with Walnuts includes a perfect combination of flavors and textures: Crisp, chopped veggies, chewy farro, crunchy walnuts, and salty pecorino romano. Perfection. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

Chopped Broccoli, Green Bean, and Farro Salad
Salt 
1 pound broccoli, cut into large pieces
½ pound green beans, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
Red pepper flakes, to taste 
Finely grated zest, then juice, of 1 lemon 
Freshly ground black pepper 
1 ½ cups cooked farro (cooked in salted water according to package directions)
½ cup grated pecorino romano
½ cup toasted, chopped walnut pieces

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes, until it is slightly softened but still crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to a colander. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and retain the bright green color. Place the broccoli on a kitchen towel, in a single layer, to dry.

Bring the same pot of water back to a boil, and add the green beans. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the green beans are softened but still crisp. Drain the green beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. Place the green beans on another kitchen towel. 

Pat the green beans and broccoli dry with kitchen or paper towels. Chop the broccoli into small bits, about 1/2-inch. Chop the green beans into small bits, about ¼-inch.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is faintly golden. Add the chopped broccoli, chopped green beans, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add several grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring for 3 to 4 more minutes, until the veggies are well-seasoned and slightly more tender.

Place the cooked farro in a large bowl and stir in the vegetables and all the oil and garlic from the skillet. Stir in the cheese and walnuts, then add the lemon juice and more salt and pepper to taste.