Sister Lunch with Apple Farro Bacon Salad with Candied Garbanzo Beans

This Apple Farro Bacon Salad with Candied Garbanzo Beans is full of flavor and crunch!

Friends, I can hardly take in all the beautiful colors of fall that have finally arrived! Just in time for comfort dishes, easy one-pot meals, having guests over for a cozy, simple meal. It’s just so gorgeous! We’re still able to enjoy entertaining in the the outdoors, too.

This weekend my sisters came over for lunch, and I made several salads. This was my favorite, a delicious Apple Farro Bacon Salad with Candied Garbanzo Beans.

Roasting Bush’s Garbanzo Beans.

I’ve made flavored roasted garbanzo beans for years, and they are a great snack!

This time I roasted 2 cans of Bush’s Garbanzo Beans, otherwise known as “chickpeas,” with brown sugar, olive oil, and maple syrup. Here’s a little warning–you just may get hooked!

Make sure you take a few minutes to remove the skins before roasting. I lay them out on a kitchen towel and roll them. The skins slide right off! It’s not a big deal if a few get left on.

Tips on farro.

I cooked the farro and bacon ahead of time. Oh, and did you know you can freeze extra farro?! Double the farro, let cool, and freeze flat in Ziploc bags. When ready to use, transfer the frozen farro to a strainer and pour boiling water over it. Use in soups and stews or toss in salads. Sometimes I make it in my rice cooker (brown rice setting). It’s super easy!

Right before my sisters arrived, I assembled the ingredients, and set back in the fridge.

Adding beans to salads.

Crunchy, sweet, savory, hearty, beautiful and fresh – all on one big platter.

By the way, beans are a nutrient-rich powerhouse and are an excellent source of folate and fiber. They are also a good source of six other important nutrients, which is why I love to add them to salads!

A delicious, beautiful, fall day salad. Of course, when I’m with my sisters, anything tastes good! We love catching up, dreaming and planning about our next adventure together.

I’m starting to think about the month of November and entertaining for Thanksgiving. We have out-of-town guests arriving the night before, plus our kids will all be home! It will be a full house, but you know how a mama feels about that. A full house is a house full of love. Right?

Enjoy this fall salad and Happy Monday!

What are you looking forward to in November?

More roasted garbanzo recipes:

Here’s a recipe with paprika.

Here’s a quick video on a smokey and toasted recipe!

Kalyn’s Kitchen makes them with Morrocan spices.

Dine and Dish makes a great BBQ roasted recipe.

5 stars (1 review)

Leave a Review

Get the Recipe:

Apple Farro Bacon Salad with Candied Garbanzo Beans

Crunchy sweet and savory salad. Toss with your favorite dressing, or whisk juice of 1 orange, 1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper together, and drizzle on top! Or, serve with (store bought) Brianna’s Honey Mustard dressing.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Yield: 4

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 2 15 ounce cans Bush’s Garbanzo Beans, drained, rinsed and skins removed
• 3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 cup uncooked farro
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 cups arugula
• 1 Honeycrisp apple, sliced thinly
• 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
• 4-6 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make sure chickpeas are well-dried, and in a medium bowl, coat them with olive oil, maple syrup, and brown sugar, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the beans in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove and allow them to cool on the pan.
• Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, over medium high heat. Add the farro, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 30 minutes, or until the farro has a slight chew. Drain off any excess liquid and cool.
• Arrange the cooled farro on a large platter. Layer the arugula and apples on top, adding the mandarin oranges, bacon, feta cheese. Lastly, sprinkle with roasted garbanzo beans. Toss with your favorite dressing.

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans, but as always, all opinions are my own!