This Mediterranean Farro Salad is so refreshing and satisfying. Not only is it nutritious, but it is colorful and tasty!
Farro. What exactly is it? This ancient grain is fairly new to me. I first saw a chef preparing it on a cooking show and became intrigued. Widely popular in Mediterranean cooking, Farro has a somewhat chewy texture, a mild nutty flavor and is very versatile.
Farro consists of 3 varieties of grains: einkorn, spelt and emmer, the latter being the most common in the US. These grains come in whole grain, semi-pearled and pearled. Whole grain is the most nutritious, but semi-pearl and pearl are easier to work with. Ancient grains have more protein and fiber. There are many other benefits that you can read about here.
This salad is vegetarian, vegan and dairy free! It is not gluten free though my friends, so if you have problems with gluten this may not be the salad for you. The good news is you can replace the farro with other ancient gluten free grains such as quinoa or millet. Adding fresh vegetables, olive oil, lemon and garlic create the perfect Mediterranean dish!
The Method of Mediterranean Farro Salad
Ingredients:
- farro
- water
- salt
- lemon juice
- cucumber
- cherry tomatoes
- red onion
- kalamata olives
- roasted red peppers
- vinaigrette
First rinse your farro. Add to a heavy bottom pot with water, salt and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stir, place the lid on top and cook 25-30 minutes over low heat. Next make the vinaigrette. Remove the cooked farro from the heat and place it in a salad bowl. While it is still warm, drizzle about 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette over the top and toss. (This allows the farro to soak up the flavor of the dressing) Let cool.
Meanwhile dice the vegetables and compose them over the cooled farro. Drizzle more vinaigrette on top and toss.
Cook’s Notes:
Add grilled fish, meat or veggies to your salad.
Fresh herbs, arugula and feta cheese are nice additions!
Try using stock instead of water, add in herb stems (for easy retrieval) or smashed garlic cloves.
Move over oatmeal, there’s a new kid in town! Yes farro is delicious for breakfast. Try it sweet with brown sugar, maple syrup, fruit and yogurt OR savory with some wilted greens, roasted blistered tomatoes and an egg on top! (cook in salted water…no lemon).
Super tip: Prepare a big batch of farro on your day off. It will be ready for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner all week! It will last 3-4 days in the fridge.
Cooked farro freezes well. Place in freezer safe bags and lay flat in the freezer. This conserves space!
If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars!
Mediterranean Farro Salad
This Mediterranean Farro Salad is delicious, satisfying and nutritious!
- Measuring cup
- strainer
- heavy bottom pot with lid
- Cutting Board
- sharp chef knife
- large salad bowl
- large measuring cup
- Whisk
- Microplane
- 1 cup farro, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Tuscan Herb olive oil (you can substitute plain evoo along with 1 teaspoon Tuscan Herbs or Italian Seasoning)
- 1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 garlic clove, micro planed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
Rinse farro. Add to pot with water, salt and lemon juice. Bring to boil, reduce heat, stir, place on lid and simmer 25-30 minutes.
Make vinaigrette. To a large measuring cup add extra virgin olive oil and next 8 ingredients. Whisk to combine.
Remove farro from heat to salad bowl. Add 1/3 of the vinaigrette to warm grain. Let cool.
Prepare veggies. Set aside.
Compose veggies on top of farro. Pour desired amount of vinaigrette over top. Toss to combine.
This is a perfect side salad, a complete lunch or can be a lite dinner or with grilled fish or meat a hearty dinner.
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