Farro Salad with Pears, Walnuts & Gorgonzola

Remember yesterday's post when I mentioned that I've got a thing for farro right now? Well, it's true. Today I'm sharing another farro salad recipe that I've had in my lunchbox rotation lately. If you like the classic flavor combination of pears, walnuts, and blue cheese, then you will love this salad!

I don't think it's a big secret around this blog that I really really hate packing a lunch for work. I don't know what it is about packing my lunch-- maybe that I have an aversion to leftovers (namely, microwaved meat) or that making dinner exhausts me to the point that even making a sandwich for the next day pushes me over the edge, but if I don't plan and make lunch ahead of time, it's just not happening for that whole week.

The good news is that when I find something I like, I stick with it. And a farro salad is no exception. I love that farro is filling, healthy, and easy to make in large batches. It refrigerates nicely and has a neutral enough flavor that it can be paired with any number of things (like this caprese-inspired version or this one with roasted vegetables) and it will taste totally different and you'll never get bored. This is what I need to keep my brown bag lunch game going strong!

Similar to yesterday's recipe, this farro salad relies on the tried and true flavor combination of fruit and cheese-- this time with sweet pears, chewy golden raisins, and funky creamy Gorgonzola to pack a little extra flavor punch. I love blue cheese and stone fruit, so this is a perfect match in my book. Toasted wanuts round out that flavor combination along with a bit of red onion, fresh thyme, and a generous amount of chopped fresh spinach leaves. It's all dressed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette for an easy and elegant meal that you can enjoy all week.


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cooked farro
• 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 pear, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced 
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and rough chopped
• 6 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola

In a large bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and next 4 ingredients through olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add farro, spinach, pear, onion, raisins, and thyme to the bowl and stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Top with walnuts and Gorgonzola and serve.