Description

This vibrant, textural salad is a complete meal in a bowl, engineered for peak nutrition and flavor. Chewy pearled farro and hearty chickpeas form a satisfying base, while toasted walnuts add a welcome crunch. The magic is in the dressing: a portion of ripe avocado is mashed directly into the lemon-dill vinaigrette, creating a luxuriously creamy coating without a drop of dairy. It’s a robust, no-cook hero for a sophisticated and satisfying lunch.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Creamy Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette:

1 large ripe avocado (halved and pitted)
1/3 cup 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon (zested and juiced (about 3 tbsp juice))
1 clove garlic (finely grated or minced)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

For the Salad Assembly:

1/2 cup 95 g dry pearled farro
2 15-ounce / 425 g cans no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
2 Persian cucumbers (chopped (about 1.5 cups))
2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 large red bell pepper (roasted, peeled, and chopped)
1/2 small red onion (very thinly sliced)
1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped)
1/3 cup 40 g raw walnut halves

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Instructions

Cook the Farro: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add pearled farro and simmer 15–25 minutes (per package) until tender with a pleasant chew. Drain well and spread on a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.
Toast the Walnuts: Meanwhile, toast walnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, 3–5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate to cool, then roughly chop.
Make the Vinaigrette: In a large serving bowl, mash half the avocado until mostly smooth. Add lemon zest and juice (about 3 Tbsp), garlic, Dijon, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; whisk to form a thick paste.
Emulsify: While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth and creamy.
Assemble: Add cooled farro, well-drained chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, and red onion; gently fold to coat evenly.
Finish: Dice the remaining avocado half. Add with parsley, dill, and toasted walnuts; fold gently once or twice. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon.
Serve: Divide among 4 bowls and serve immediately for best color and texture.

Notes

Make-Ahead: The farro can be cooked up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, fully assemble the salad just before serving.
Nut-Free Variation: For a nut-free version, simply omit the walnuts and substitute with 1/4 cup of toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
Roasting Peppers: To roast your own pepper, place it directly on a gas stove burner, turning with tongs until blackened on all sides. Alternatively, broil on high in the oven. Place the blackened pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. The skin will then peel off easily.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 1/4 of the total recipe

Calories: 594 kcal
Fat: 32.8 g
Saturated Fat: 4.3 g
Carbohydrates: 55.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 17.3 g
Protein: 13.8 g
Sodium: 172 mg
Added Sugar: 0 g

Nutrition

Calories: 594