Roasted Veggie Summer Salad with Farro and Shrimp

There’s something about summertime that makes me crave lighter, be it clothes, makeup, and even food. To kick off the unofficial start of summer this past weekend during Memorial Day, I frankenstein’d together several recipes I found online to create this roasted veggie summer salad with farro and shrimp, and I have to say… it’s fucking delicious. All of it comes together in a flash, is very satiating, and is perfect for eating outdoors with a great glass of white wine as you watch the fireflies light up around you. Enjoy!

roasted veggie summer salad with farro and shrimp

A note: You can adjust quantities as you see fit. The way I’m going to write it out, it serves 4 slightly hungry people, 3 pretty hungry people, or 2 VERY hungry people, but it’s an easy recipe to double!

INGREDIENTS:

For salad:

1 medium zucchini, sliced into discs
10 asparagus spears with ends torn off and cut into thirds
1 medium to large red bell pepper, cut into strips
10 ounces of teeny tiny tomatoes (if you can find them. If not, cherry tomatoes are fine!)
2 TBSP of avocado oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup dry Farro
1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp

For Dressing:

3 TBSP good EVOO
2 TBSP red or white wine vinegar (your preference)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450º and line a large baking sheet with foil.

Cut up all your vegetables (except for the tomatoes) and put them in a big bowl. Add the avocado oil, oregano, salt, and pepper to the veggies and toss with your hands to make sure they’re all coated. Dump them onto your pre-prepped baking sheet and try to spread them out as evenly as possible.

Roast the veggies for 15-20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes to see what you think.

While the veggies roast, follow the instructions on your package of Farro to get 1 cup cooking. Once it’s done, strain the water and let the Farro rest.

Toss the shrimp in a touch of avocado oil, salt, pepper, and a little more oregano. You can cook them however you like. The easiest way for me is to put avocado oil in a pan, turn it to medium-high heat, and cook them in batches for a few minutes on both sides. As each batch finishes, I place them on a nearby plate and keep going.

When your veggies, farro, and shrimp are done, the last step is to make the dressing. Pour all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk. Combine your veggies, farro, and shrimp in one big serving bowl, pour the dressing on top, toss with salad tongs (we got these as a wedding present, and I’m obsessed with them. They’re on sale!), and serve!