Meet my new favorite Rosh Hashanah salad. Scratch that—my new favorite salad salad. Actually, more importantly, meet my new favorite salad dressing. It is outrageously good. Dangerously good. Shallot-y and mustard-y with the perfect amount of zing. Drizzled over this restaurant-quality, crispy-crunchy masterpiece, it’s heaven in every bite.
The best part? I’m allowed to speak about it in glaring hyperbole. And you know that’s my favorite way to speak about things! See, I wasn’t the recipe developer here, which means I can wax poetic without feeling like I’m patting myself on the back. This idea in all of its delicious, apple-filled glory is owed to the one and only Leah Koenig. She’s actually contributed several recipes to the blog just in time for the High Holidays (including these smoked trout canapés!) and I feel so lucky about that.
Leah’s the author of six (SIX!) cookbooks, including The Jewish Cookbook (Phaidon, 2019) and Modern Jewish Cooking (Chronicle Books)—you might even have some of them in your kitchens at the moment. And she’s generally just a wonderful person who lives right here in New York. Well, Brooklyn. So it’s a long-distance friendship. But we’re making it work! Highly recommend subscribing to her newsletter for more deliciousness.
In the meantime, find the recipe for the salad below, and let me know on Instagram if you end up making it!
P.S. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll make extra dressing.
P.P.S. In need of more Rosh Hashanah inspiration? Find tons of other holiday ideas all over the site right now, including Rosh Hashanah quotes, Rosh Hashanah dessert ideas, Rosh Hashanah cocktails, place cards, table decorations, poems and much more.
Herby Green Apple Farro Salad
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This Rosh Hashanah salad has all of the good things: crunch, crispness, grains, a smattering of herbs, and an outrageously good dressing. You’ll want to serve it every night of the new year. (No, really.)
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons mild honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried mint, optional
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 1/2 cups pearled farro
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped
- 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1/3 cup marcona or roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
- Optional: Edible flowers, to garnish (we used micro marigolds)
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Add the vinegar, shallot, honey, mustard, and mint to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and whisk vigorously to fully combine. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Set aside.
- Make the salad: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the farro, lower heat to medium-high and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until farro is al dente, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain well and let cool.
- Add the cooked and cooled farro to a serving bowl along with the apple, cucumbers, fennel, arugula, almonds, basil leaves, and chives. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing (save any leftovers for another use), and gently toss to combine. Garnish with edible flowers if desired.
Notes
Make-ahead tip: The dressing and farro can be prepped up to 2 days in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge until needed.