There’s a charred broccolini salad at a local restaurant here in Rochester (Branca Midtown) and if you’ve been there, you know the salad I’m talking about. While I love to eat out on occasion, it’s not often that a salad remains in my memory for days after. I hadn’t been there in years, but ended up seated at their bar recently and of course ordered the salad. It was even better than I remember! It has this quality I can’t quite put my finger on, but I’ve created my own version that hits all of the notes for me, and will absolutely become a house favorite.

Can I make substitutions?

For gluten free: use quinoa
For dairy-free or vegan: use a dairy-free feta (Trader Joe’s has a great one) or omit the cheese
Other swaps: use almonds instead of walnuts, goat cheese instead of feta, or broccoli if you can’t find broccolini

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

8 oz broccolini
1 can chickpeas
1 cup farro
¼ cup chives (chopped)
⅓ cup feta
¾ cup walnuts (unsalted)
1 tbsp honey

Caramelized Shallot Vinaigrette:

1 large shallot
1 tbsp dijon mustard (grainy preferred)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ lemon (juiced)
1 tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp water

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, patting them dry. Add to a large parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp garlic powder and some black pepper. When oven is ready, roast for 15 minutes.
Cook farro to package instructions. I like the quick-cook variety from Trader Joe's. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
Chop the broccolini into 1 to 2 inch pieces, discarding a couple inches of the bottom. When the chickpeas are done, move them over to make room for the broccolini on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for another 15 minutes.
Heat a small frying pan over medium low heat. Add a little olive oil and the thinly sliced shallots. Cook for a few minutes until slightly translucent, seasoning with a little salt. Turn to low, add a splash of water and cover for 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often so they don't burn. You want them to get a little crispy, but soft and caramelized.
Make the salad dressing by combining the shallots with all other ingredients into a small blender or using an immersion blender.
For the honey walnuts, dry roast them in a pan over medium low heat for about 5-8 minutes, until slightly golden. Add 1 tbsp of honey and stir to coat, cooking another few minutes. Pour onto a parchment-lined plate to cool. Once hardened, roughly chop.
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, including chives and feta. Pour dressing on top (I use about ¾ of the dressing, but use as much or little as you'd like). Be generous with the dressing as the farro soaks it up. Enjoy!