This farro salad is incredibly flavorful and satisfyingly hearty. It's made with a mix of Mediterranean-inspired flavors and tossed in a simple 4-ingredient dressing.
About This Recipe
This farro salad can be served warm or cold and it's tasty as a main dish, side dish, or meal prep. Plus it uses a mix of fresh and pantry ingredients, making it perfect for winter (when there's less fresh produce available) or summer.
What Is Farro?
Farro is an ancient grain that is a type of wheat. It tastes slightly nutty flavor and is similar in texture to barley. Compared to similarly-sized grains, it's lighter and quicker to cook.
Farro contains lots of fiber and nutritional benefits. It's said to have originated in the area of the Fertile Crescent and has even been found in the tombs of Egyptian kings! Farro has also been popular in Italy for centuries, but is eaten in many other places as well.
If you like whole grains like quinoa, barley, or bulgur — farro will be a new favorite grain! In salads it tastes light yet hearty, and adds just the right amount of grain-y flavor.
Farro Salad Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.
- Farro
- Canned chickpeas
- Cherry tomatoes
- Feta
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Red onion
- Flat-leaf parsley
Dressing:
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Oregano
How to Make Farro Salad
Here's how to make this recipe in 4 simple steps:
- Cook the farro: cook the farro according to the instructions on your package. This is usually done by combining 1 cup farro with 2 ⅔ cup water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, cover and then simmer for 10 minutes. Cook for 2-3 minutes more for softer farro. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain excess water and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl, stir together the oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Mix the salad: add all of the salad ingredients, including the cooked farro, to a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the top and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve: for best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Variations
Here's some of the most popular substitutions and additions for this recipe:
- Farro: this recipe calls for farro, which is an ancient whole grain. Other similar-sized whole grains can be substituted. Examples are: quinoa, barley, bulgur, millet, sorghum.
- Tomatoes: any grape or cherry tomatoes can be used.
- Red wine vinegar: substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. You could also skip the vinegar and add more lemon juice to taste.
- Feta: cube or crumble your feta. Parmesan or mozzarella pearls could be used instead.
- Arugula: stir in a few handfuls of arugula if you'd like to add some greens to your salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any type of farro will be tasty in this recipe! Just be sure to cook it according the the instructions on your package since they may vary. Some packages of farro may say 'pearled' (comes with the outer husk of the grain removed) or 'whole' (comes with the outer husk still on). Pearled farro is most popular because it's milder and quicker to cook. Whole farro has more fiber, nutrients, and a stronger flavor.
This salad can be served warm but is most popularly served cold. And it's recommended to let your farro cool before mixing it with the salad ingredients because otherwise the feta cubes will melt slightly.
Your farro should be done after 10 minutes of simmering. You can simmer it for an additional 2-3 minutes for a softer texture. You can taste the farro to see if it's done — it should be easy to chew and soft but not mushy.
Storage
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. This recipe keeps well as leftovers and is great for meal prep!
Similar Recipes
For more whole grain inspired salads, check out these favorites:
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & rating at the bottom of this page!
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Farro Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
This farro salad is incredibly flavorful and satisfyingly hearty. It's made with a mix of Mediterranean-inspired flavors and tossed in a simple 4-ingredient dressing.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked farro (from 1 cup uncooked), cooled
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 1 cup halved multi-color cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup cubed feta
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the farro: cook the farro according to the instructions on your package. This is usually done by combining 1 cup farro with 2 ⅔ cup water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, cover and then simmer for 10 minutes. Cook for 2-3 minutes more for softer farro. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain excess water and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl, stir together the oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Mix the salad: add all of the salad ingredients, including the cooked farro, to a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the top and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve: for best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
Keywords: farro, salad, grain, Italian, Greek, Mediterranean, whole grain, sun dried tomatoes, sundried, warm, cold, winter, summer, fall, feta, chickpeas
Diana
Farro salad is one of my favorites & I love the flavors in this recipe. Thanks!
★★★★★