Farro, lemon, and arugula form a base for delicious, sweet caramelized scallops in this surprisingly easy and healthy dish.
Third day of school and my girls are loving it. With one in kindergarten and another in second grade, it’s awesome to see how excited they are about school. Yesterday, they rode the bus to school for the first time. Both woke up early, devoured their breakfast, got dressed without me yelling, and then asked me every 5 minutes if it was time to get the bus. While we stood on our corner waiting, little Nutmeg did a dance that must have amused the cars passing by. She sticks out her elbows and shakes her little tush while singing a song. Absolutely hilarious.
The return to school also brings a boatload of commitments. Homework, soccer practice, Girls Scouts, etc. You know the drill. And so easy dinners without a lot if ingredients are a must. And that does NOT mean you have to sacrifice putting something delicious on the table. This dish is made with pretty basic ingredients, takes very little time to prep, and is healthy! If you don’t have scallops, top it with some shrimp or grilled chicken. You can check homework and make lunches while the farro simmers.
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup farro
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- Zest of one lemon
- 4 tsp. lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press or minced
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- a small bunch of fresh arugula
- 8 large sea scallops
- Bring the chicken stock to a simmer. If using low sodium stock, add ½ tsp. salt. Add the farro and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the liquid disappears before the farro is al dente, add a little water.
- While the farro cooks, whisk together the Kosher salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Set aside at room temperature for the flavors to combine.
- When farro is al dente, drain it if any liquid remains. Drizzle with some of the dressing and black pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over high heat. Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper. Sear for 1 minute on each side.
- Stir arugula into the warm farro and divide among 2 plates. Top with 4 scallops each.
Are you the original author of this recipe? I love it.
I make it all the time via Chowhound’s Lisa Lavery.
Hi Stacey – Yes, this is mine. Though I had a look at chowhound and that one is similar. I use chicken stock though as I think it adds a lot more flavor to farro. There are other differences as well – I’ll have to try hers the next time I make it to see if I’d change anything!