Farro Salad with Feta and Arugula

Made with feta cheese, cucumber, and leafy greens, this farro salad is filled with Mediterranean flavors and is a great alternative to pasta salad. This grain salad works well as a main course for a light lunch or a side dish with dinner.

If you’ve never tried farro or have never had farro salad, no to worry, you’re going to love it! Farro is a relative of wheat and one of the most popular ancient grains. It has been a staple of Europe, specifically Italy, for decades, and is a highly versatile ingredient used in soups, stews, pilafs, and salads, like barley and millet.

With its hearty and chewy texture and rich and nutty flavor, farro is a rich source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making it the perfect base for this hearty Mediterranean farro salad recipe.

Why You’ll Love Farro Salad Recipe

• Quick – Ready in 30 minutes, this salad is super quick to make.
• Easy – If you can boil water, chop veggies, and whisk dressing, you can make this farro salad!
• Hearty – The inclusion of a whole grain makes this salad hearty and filling.
• High in Fiber – The combination of fiber and veggies ensures this salad is high in fiber.
• Great for Meal Prep – This salad keeps well in the fridge so it’s perfect for a make-ahead meal.

Farro Salad Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this farro salad recipe:

• Farro – To add some whole grains and a nutty bite. You can use whole farro or pearled farro for this farro salad, or wheat berries if you can’t find farro.
• Cucumber – To add some veggies.
• Red Onion – To add some color and crunch.
• Arugula – To add some leafy greens and a peppery bite. You can use salad arugula or baby arugula.
• Herbs – A bit of fresh parsley and mint to brighten the salad.
• Feta Cheese – To add a creamy texture and salty bite.
• Almonds – For a bit of crunch and healthy fats.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – To make the dressing and some more healthy fats.
• Lemon Juice – To balance the dressing. Fresh lemon juice is best, but red wine vinegar will also work.
• Garlic – To flavor the dressing.
• Salt and Pepper – To season the salad.

Although the recipe doesn’t call for any, you could add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the dressing for additional flavor.

How to Make Farro Salad

Here’s how you’ll make this Mediterranean farro salad:

1. Boil the farro. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the farro, and cook for 30 minutes until tender. Once cooked, strain the warm farro, rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process, and strain again to remove all excess water.
2. Make the salad dressing. Add the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a bowl or mason jar and whisk or shake until well combined.
3. Chop the veggies. Chop the cucumber, red onion, arugula, parsley, and mint.
4. Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, add the cooled farro, cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint, chopped almonds, and feta cheese.
5. Toss the salad. Drizzle the ingredients with the dressing and toss the farro salad until well combined.
6. Serve and enjoy!

You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

Optional Add-Ins

This farro salad is incredibly versatile and you can easily mix and match the different vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs. If you want to swap or add different vegetables, I’d recommend:

• Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or sun-dried tomatoes
• Bell peppers, red, yellow, or orange
• Roasted red pepper
• Carrots
• Celery
• Zucchini
• Kale
• Spinach
• Dill

How to cook farro perfectly every time?

Cooked farro is best tender, but not too mushy, with an al dente bite. To boil farro perfectly every time, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the farro, and cook pearled farro for 15-20 minutes, semi-pearled farro for 25-30 minutes, and whole farro for 35-40 minutes.

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

This farro salad can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I use brown rice instead of farro?

You can use brown rice instead of farro in this farro salad recipe. Simply cook the brown rice as per its package directions, then strain, rinse, and cool the brown rice before adding it to the salad as per the recipe instructions.

What to Serve Farro Salad With

This farro salad can be enjoyed on its own as a vegetarian main course or served as a healthy side dish. It will pair well with any grilled, baked, or roasted meat, such as:

• Grilled Steak
• Grilled Chicken
• Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
• Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
• Pesto Baked Salmon
• Slow Roasted Herbed Salmon
• Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers
• Salmon Burgers
• Grilled Halloumi
• Grilled Tofu

More Farro Recipes:

• Tuscan Farro Soup

Farro Salad with Feta and Arugula

Author: Stephanie Kay

Made with creamy feta cheese, arugula, fresh herbs, and chopped almonds, this farro salad is hearty, healthy, delicious, and nutritious.

• Author: Stephanie Kay
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

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Ingredients

• 1 cup farro, raw
• 1/2 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1 cup arugula, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
• Salt
• Pepper

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Instructions

1. Place the farro in a fine mesh colander, rinse it under colder water, and then strain off excess water.
2. Fill a medium saucepan with water, bring to a boil, add farro, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, or according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender but pleasantly chewy.
3. Once cooked, transfer the cooked farro to a fine mesh colander and rinse the warm farro under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the farro, and then shake to remove as much excess water as possible.
4. While the farro is cooking, in a small bowl or mason jar, combine the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk or shake until well combined.
5. Once the farro has cooled, in a large mixing bowl, add the cooled, cooked farro, cucumber, red onion, arugula, parsley, and mint to the bowl of farro, and toss to combine.
6. Drizzle farro mixture with dressing and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with feta cheese and almonds and toss gently again to combine, and season with additional salt and ground black pepper to taste.
7. The farro salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Notes

If time permits, it is recommended that you soak the farro in water overnight. To soak farro, add it to a bowl, cover with water, and allow to sit for 8-24 hours. Once soaked, strain to remove excess water and rinse well before cooking. The process of soaking the farro will reduce the cooking time to roughly 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 302 calories
• Sugar: 11 grams
• Fat: 23 grams
• Carbohydrates: 23 grams
• Fiber: 4 grams
• Protein: 6 grams