Farro & Chickpea Cakes with Avocado “Aioli” & Cherry Tomatoes
The farro for this deliciously crispy crab cake-like dish is purposely a little overcooked and sticky to help the cakes hold their shape during cooking. An avocado aioli-style sauce and tomatoes on top add creaminess, brightness .
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup semi-pearled farro
- 1.2 avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional, to taste
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas or BPA-free-canned unsalted chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
- 1.2 cup diced shallots
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1.2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 butter lettuce leaves
- 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Preparation
- To a medium saucepan on medium-high, add farro and 1¼ cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook until farro is very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain farro, if necessary, then transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash avocado, yogurt and garlic until mixture is relatively smooth. Add salt, to taste; set aside.
- In a small bowl, lightly mash chickpeas to yield some crushed pieces, some partial pieces and some whole. To large bowl with farro, add chickpeas, panko, shallots, parsley, cumin and ½ tsp salt; stir in eggs. With damp hands, shape mixture into 8 ¾-inch-thick cakes. (TIP: Arrange cakes on 2 flat plates to make it easy to slide them into the skillet later.)
- In each of 2 medium skillets on medium, heat 1 tbsp oil. Carefully add 4 cakes to each skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Arrange lettuce leaves on plates or a platter and top each leaf with a cake. Sprinkle with tomatoes and spoon on avocado mixture.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 2 cakes with toppings
- Calories 346
- Carbohydrate Content 43 g
- Cholesterol Content 95 mg
- Fat Content 15 g
- Fiber Content 9 g
- Protein Content 13 g
- Saturated Fat Content 3 g
- Sodium Content 311 mg
- Sugar Content 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 2 g