This farro salad is a tasty, high-protein mixture of historical grains, crunchy walnuts, apple slices, raisins, and peppery arugula with shaved parmesan. Tossed with my sweet-tangy maple French dressing, it’s considered one of my favourite hearty salads.


What Is Farro?
Farro is a nutty, chewy historical grain, just like barley, quinoa, or bulgur. It’s widespread in Mediterranean cooking, and considered one of my favourite swaps for rice or pasta in recipes.
Strive farro as a substitute of pasta on this orzo salad, or farro as a substitute of rice the subsequent time you make risotto. It’s hearty and satisfying, which makes this farro salad superb for adapting to meal prep.
What’s Wanted For This Farro Salad Recipe
Right here’s a have a look at the components on this fast grain salad recipe. Keep in mind to scroll to the recipe card for the whole ingredient quantities.

- Dry Farro – You’ll discover entire, semi-pearled, and pearled farro in shops. Entire grains require soaking and longer cooking occasions, whereas pearled farro is polished and quick-cooking. I take advantage of entire farro for this recipe.
- Arugula – Just about any sturdy salad greens will work right here. Spinach, kale, and mesclun are good alternate options.
- Apple – Thinly sliced, or it can save you time by grating the apple utilizing the massive holes of a field grater. My favourite apples for salads are candy, crisp varieties like Honeycrisp, Pink Girl, Fuji, and Granny Smith.
- Raisins – You possibly can skip these or use chopped dates or dried cranberries if most popular.
- Arduous Cheese – Good for shaving or grating, like Parmesan or Pecorino Romano. Different good choices are crumbled feta or tangy goat cheese.
- Walnuts – Or pecans, chopped.
For the Dressing
- Olive Oil – I like to make use of a good-quality further virgin olive oil when making selfmade salad dressings. You possibly can style the distinction!
- Cider Vinegar – You can use white balsamic vinegar, white or crimson wine vinegar, or lemon juice as a substitute.
- Maple Syrup – Be at liberty to make use of honey.
- Dijon Mustard – I don’t advocate substituting yellow mustard, however you may attempt brown or entire grain.
Cooking Farro for Salad
Earlier than cooking, you’ll rinse the farro underneath chilly water. Then, cook dinner the farro in a pot of salted, boiling water till it’s fork-tender. The cooking time is dependent upon the kind of farro you’re utilizing:


- Pearled (polished to take away the bran): 10-20 minutes
- Semi-Pearled (partially polished): 20-Half-hour
- Entire (bran and germ intact): Nearer to 40 minutes
After cooking, drain the farro effectively and unfold it out on a baking sheet to assist it cool extra shortly. The farro must be utterly cooled earlier than you add it to the arugula, or the leaves will wilt.
Dressing Choices for Farro Salad
I like how the maple Dijon French dressing enhances the nuttiness of the farro and the sweetness of the apples on this salad. However for those who’d like to alter it up, attempt basic Italian dressing, or any of my selfmade salad dressing recipes:

Continuously Requested Questions
No. Farro does comprise gluten and isn’t appropriate for gluten-free diets. If wanted, substitute quinoa or chickpeas as a substitute.
Sure! Each time I make this salad forward, I’ll omit the arugula and apples till it’s time to serve. Every part else, together with the dressing, will get tossed collectively in a meal prep container and stashed within the fridge.
To decelerate the browning course of, toss the apple slices with somewhat lemon juice earlier than including them to the salad.
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Cook dinner the farro. Rinse the farro. Fill a medium pot with water. Salt the water to style and convey it to a boil. As soon as the water boils, stir within the farro. Cut back the warmth and simmer till tender. Cooking time will depend upon the kind of farro you are utilizing: 10-20 minutes for pearled, 20-Half-hour for semi-pearled, and 40 minutes for entire farro. I used entire farro for this salad. As soon as cooked, drain the farro and unfold it out on a big baking sheet to chill.
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Make the dressing. In the meantime, whisk collectively the dressing components in a small bowl and put aside.
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Assemble the salad. Add the cooled farro to a bowl, and toss it with the apple slices, raisins, shaved cheese, nuts, and arugula. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss the salad to coat it with the dressing. Style and modify the seasonings earlier than serving.
- Cooking is dependent upon the kind of farro: 10-20 minutes for pearled, 20-30 for semi-pearled, and 40 for entire farro. Or simply observe the directions on the bundle.
- Make sure that the farro is cooled earlier than combining it with the contemporary arugula, or the arugula will wilt.
- You need to use dried cranberries or chopped dates as a substitute of raisins.
Energy: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 14g | Fats: 28g | Saturated Fats: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 15g | Ldl cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 267mg | Iron: 2mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might differ in line with the components and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
Methods to Make This Farro Salad


Making a farro salad is as simple as combining cooked farro in a bowl with the apples, raisins, shaved cheese, walnuts, and greens. Whisk the dressing components, and pour that on prime. Toss, serve, and revel in!

Storage Suggestions
Don’t add the dressing till proper earlier than serving, so the arugula doesn’t grow to be soggy. In case you have leftover salad, retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for 1-2 days.



