Farro adds delicious chewy texture and nutty flavor to this fresh, versatile salad recipe. Enjoy it for a healthy lunch, or serve it as an easy side dish.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop experimenting with new farro salad recipes. This chewy, nutty grain lends itself well to all sorts of ingredient combinations, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than stumbling across a really good one that I haven’t tried before.
I first made this farro salad recipe earlier this fall as a way to use up odds and ends we had on hand in the fridge. Arugula, radicchio, most of an apple… I loved the way the nutty farro played off the bitter greens, the sweet fruit, and some salty, funky pecorino cheese I tossed in at the last minute. The balance of flavors was delicious and a little unexpected. It only took a few bites for me to realize that I had to share this farro salad recipe with all of you.
Farro Salad Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this farro salad recipe:
- Farro, of course! My favorite method for how to cook farro is to boil it like pasta, cooking until the farro is tender but still has an al dente bite. The cooking time can range from 10 or 20 minutes for pearled farro to 45 minutes for whole farro. Be sure to check which type you have before you start cooking! Learn more about the different types of farro here. And heads up: farro is an ancient variety of wheat, so it is not gluten-free. If you’re looking for a gluten-free sub for this recipe, brown or wild rice would do the trick.
- Arugula and radicchio – These bitter greens create the salad’s fresh base.
- Honeycrisp apple – For sweetness and crunch.
- Medjool dates – They add more sweetness and yummy chewy texture.
- Walnuts – Another crunchy element! They enhance the farro’s nutty flavor as well.
- Pecorino cheese – Its saltiness balances the sweet apples and dates.
- Fresh parsley and thyme – They make the salad aromatic and refreshing.
- Apple cider vinegar dressing – Bright and tangy, it’s my go-to salad dressing for a fall farro salad.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
The first step in this farro salad recipe is cooking the farro. To get ahead, you can cook the farro up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the salad. You can make the dressing ahead of time too!
Once you prep these components, place the farro in a salad bowl with the arugula, radicchio, apples, dates, pecorino, walnuts, and herbs. Add half the dressing, and toss to coat. Season to taste, adding more dressing as desired, and serve.
Farro Salad Serving Suggestions
The farro makes this salad substantial enough to eat for lunch, but it’s a great dinner side dish too. Pair it with your favorite protein, or serve it alongside brothy beans, a baked sweet potato, a roasted cauliflower steak, or any of these soup recipes:
Like to plan ahead? Consider serving this salad as a Thanksgiving side dish! It would offer a nice fresh contrast to holiday classics like green bean casserole, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
More Favorite Fall Salad Recipes
If you love this recipe, try one of these fall salads next:
- Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic
- Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Carrot Salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Or any of these 51 Best Salad Recipes!
Farro Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked farro, from 1 cup dry
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup sliced radicchio
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup shaved pecorino cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the farro, arugula, radicchio, apple, dates, parsley, walnuts, cheese, and thyme.
- Add half the dressing, the salt, and several grinds of pepper and toss to combine. Season to taste, adding more dressing as desired.
Delicious recipe! I pan fried my dates in butter (and toasted the walnuts in the same pan) before chopping. An extra step but highly recommend!