Sunflower, farro, and sweet potato salad with thyme

For the past few days, I’ve been slightly obsessed with sunflower seeds. I’ve made pesto, dips, and now this salad. With their mild flavor, they go well with just about anything.

Before use, though, I soaked them. I tried to explain this to a few friends on Friday, but I was doing a terrible job. So, my tardy (but well-thought-out) explanation for why I always soak nuts and seeds is this: 

• Soaking exponentially increases the amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals we get from nuts and seeds. By soaking, we essentially germinate or activate the life within them, which makes their nutrition much more available and absorbable for us. 
• It also softens them, so blending into smoothies, dips, sauces, etc. is easier. 
• I actually find them tastier. Soaking slightly changes the flavor, perhaps towards the sweeter and more delicate side. 
• A good rule of thumb is that for harder nuts like almonds, soaking overnight is best; for softer ones like cashews, walnuts, pecans and various seeds, 3-4 hours works well.

 

Please see these links for more in-depth nutrition facts, if you’re still curious:
{soak your nuts}
{vanilla bean raw granola}
{why should i soak nuts?}

So in addition to the high health factor, I love this salad because sweet potatoes are my guilty pleasure... Guilty because I probably eat too many of them; farro, while a type of wheat, is slightly lower in gluten and wonderfully nutty; sunflower seeds are extremely high in vitamin E, something I’ve been trying to get more of; and the thyme brings it all together with an extra note of earthiness. But the texture is really what makes it. Just the right amounts of crunchy, chewy, and soft. It’s very mild in flavor, so the possible variations are endless!

 

Sunflower, Farro, Sweet Potato Salad :: Serves 4

1 large sweet potato (yam), cut into 1-inch cubes (I leave the skin on, well-scrubbed)
1 cup farro, rinsed
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 2-3 hours and strained
olive oil
apple cider vinegar 
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

• Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add a pinch of sea salt and the farro, partially cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer until water is absorbed, about 25-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the potatoes. I used a steamer basket on the stovetop, but you could also roast them. Either way, be careful not to overcook. You want them to hold together when tossed in the salad.
• Make the dressing with 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar, the cumin, thyme and mustard, and salt & pepper to taste. Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Combine cooked farro, potatoes, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the top and toss to evenly mix. Taste for seasoning. You can very well serve it warm, but I actually liked it after the flavors had time to come together in the fridge. 

Comments

[Nadia]

Your recipe looks delicious! Will have to give it a try.
I love sunflower seeds too :)

My top 3 ways of using them:
sprouted in any fresh salad, add a super tasty crunch
dehydrated with tamari, taste just like the baked salty ones
used in any cracker or base...

[Life in Eden {amy}]

a wonderful yellow sunflower indeed! and sweet potato salad? yum.
thanks for sharing with TCM!