Summer Farro Salad

Flavorful, fresh, and so good for you! This summer farro salad with farmers’ market veggies and hearty farro makes the perfect summer side.

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Summer Farro Salad is a great way to use those ancient grains in the back of your pantry. This great side dish is filled with fresh summer vegetables and tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.

Take it with you to a summer potluck or backyard barbecue. It’s incredibly versatile and an excellent option for a hearty lunch or as a side dish with your main meal.  

What is Farro and How to Eat It?

Farro is a high protein, high fiber ancient grain. It has a nutty, chewy texture and is similar to barley.

You can buy it in the rice section at the grocery store or from Amazon.

It can be bought whole, pearled, or semi-pearled. Whole farro still has the bran intact, semi-pearled has had the bran cracked and partially removed, and pearled farro has had the bran completely removed.

If you’re using whole farro, soak it overnight, like beans, to soften the outer shell. You don’t need to soak pearled or semi-pearled farro, but rinse it before cooking.

You can make it in a pot on the stove, rice cooker, or pressure cooker.

Eat it served in bowls with veggies, add to soups or stews, or as part of a Mediterranean diet.  

How to Make Summer Farro Salad

These quick and easy steps are all you need to do to make this dish.

• Cook farro: Cook the farro according to the package directions and cool.

• Boil corn: Cook the corn in boiling water. When it’s cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cob. 

• Combine the salad: Combine the farro, corn, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomatoes, herbs, and feta.

• Whisk the dressing: Whisk together all the dressing ingredients. 

• Toss the salad: Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and stir to coat the farro and vegetables. 

• Cover and chill: Cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

• Serve: Stir the salad and then scoop it into bowls. Drizzle a little more dressing over the top right before serving. 

Variations 

Grain bowls are easy to alter and add what you most like to eat. You can just as easily remove anything you don’t like. Here are some options for each category.

• Grains: barley, quinoa, wheat berries, brown rice, wild rice 

• Veggies: zucchini, red onion, grilled or roasted asparagus, kalamata olives

• Nuts: walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds

• Seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia, pine nuts 

• Cheese: parmesan cheese, queso fresco, manchego, goat cheese

• Herbs: fresh mint, parsley, tarragon, rosemary

Other Dressing Ideas

The dressing for this healthy summer farro salad is sweet and tangy. You can change the core ingredients for a bright flavor depending on what you have on hand and what you like best.

Add three parts oil to one part vinegar, and then stir in your flavoring ingredients. Let the vinaigrette sit for at least 10 minutes before serving so the ingredients have a chance to combine in the oil.

Shake or stir the dressing before pouring it since the oil and vinegar will separate if not properly emulsified.

Here are some options you can use in each category.

• Oil: avocado oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil

• Vinegar: apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar

• Flavoring: minced garlic, shallots, flaky salt, pepper, or herbs

How to Store

Refrigerate: Put the leftover farro salad in a sealed container in the fridge for up to five days. When ready to serve, scoop some salad into a small bowl and let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes while it comes to room temperature.

Freeze: Farro and other grains are great to freeze, however, this salad doesn’t thaw well. With the addition of seasonal vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, it’s not a good idea to freeze the salad.

FAQs

More Summer Salads

• Quinoa Salad with Feta
• Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
• Quinoa Salad with Avocado
• Cauliflower Tabbouleh

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