Greek Farro Salad

Greek Farro Salad. Hearty farro is combined with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red bell pepper, feta, and a generous amount of arugula. The dish is then finished with a straightforward Greek vinaigrette. This Mediterranean farro salad is not only delicious and simple to make, but it is also highly adaptable. You can serve it warm or cold, as a side dish or a plant-based main, or you can meal prep it for the best weekday lunches ever.

Classic Greek Salad with Our Favorite Hearty Grain

We frequently eat hearty, healthful cold salads throughout the warmer months. They are simple to put together, excellent for meal preparation, and elegantly walk the line between "light lunch" and "easy side dish for dinner." In my book, that's a victory!

One of our all-time favorite hearty cold salads is this Greek Farro Salad. This meal has been a huge favourite with PWWB readers ever since we originally shared it in 2021! Cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and feta cheese form the basis of this traditional Greek salad, but we give it some more body by adding nutritious chickpeas and farro. It has mouthwateringly fresh and vibrant Mediterranean taste, but it also has a ton of texture because to the crunchy cucumbers, creamy feta and chickpeas, and, of course, filling farro.

My kitchen's pantry has long been stocked with Bob's Red Mill Organic Farro, which I use to prepare this Greek farro salad. My go-to natural food company, Bob's, has always provided me with genuinely high-quality essentials that I can utilize in a variety of ways. It's been particularly entertaining to observe how frequently these products have shown in Minneapolis grocery shops recently, including my co-op and others. I'm so excited to work with them to feature some of my favorite items, beginning today with this farro salad from the Mediterranean!

Greek Farro Salad Recipe Highlights

• A FANTASTIC HYBRID. Greek farro salad combines farro and chickpeas, two filling, robust, and plant-based ingredients, with everything you love about traditional Greek salad. Totally filling vegetarian salad with fantastic flavor that is both light and lively!
• SIMPLE TO MAKE. While the farro is boiling, chop the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and roasted red peppers. Then, quickly prepare a Greek vinaigrette. The pantry essentials & seasonal favorites in this farro salad dish may be assembled in under 35 minutes!
• PERFECTLY VARIABLE. Mediterranean farro salad can be served hot or cold, as a vegetable-based side dish or main dish, or you can meal prep it for the tastiest weekday lunches ever. It may be enjoyed in countless ways, making it the ideal dish for every occasion!

Greek Farro Salad

• ¾ cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro, rinsed well
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ½ medium red onion, finely diced
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 3 mini cucumbers, diced (about 1 ½ cups diced)
• 6 ounces roasted red pepper, drained, rinsed, patted dry & diced
• 6 ounces feta, patted dry & cubed or crumbled
• one 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 5 ounces baby arugula
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

For the simple Greek vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon juice)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ground black pepper & crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions

1. To prepare the farro, start by boiling a sizable pot of water. Add one teaspoon of kosher salt once the water has boiled. When the farro reaches the appropriate al dente texture, add it and simmer it for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking. Rinse with cold water right away after draining. Put aside for good drainage.
2. Preparing the vegetables: While the farro cooks, prepare the other ingredients, starting with the onion. Squeeze the lemon juice over the finely diced red onion in a small bowl. As you prepare the additional ingredients, stir the ingredients together and let away to sit. Cut the tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted red bell pepper, and other vegetables into slices. Once all of your ingredients have been prepared, drain the onions of the lemon juice and throw them away. 
3. Combine all of the ingredients for the straightforward Greek vinaigrette in a small bowl or jar to make it. Add a little amount of red pepper flakes that have been crushed for some extra heat. Combine by whisking or shaking. If necessary, add more kosher salt or freshly ground black pepper after tasting. Place aside or keep in the fridge for up to a week.
4. To assemble the farro salad, combine the farro, tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red pepper, feta, chickpeas, and arugula in a large bowl. Add the straightforward Greek vinaigrette on top. Combine by tossing. Season to taste and as needed. Enjoy! 

Other Farro Tips & Tricks

• During the warm season, season. The best farro advice I can provide is to season it while it's still warm. The finished dish will be much more tasty since warm farro absorbs whatever dressing or seasoning you use. Put it immediately away in the Mediterranean farro salad vinaigrette!
• As it cooks, farro triples in volume! For instance, 3 cups of cooked farro can be made from 1 cup of dried farro. As you determine how much farro to use, keep this in mind. 34 cup of dry farro is required for this Greek farro salad.
• Making ahead and storing. When kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container, cooked farro can last up to a week. Additionally, cooked farro may be frozen for up to a month in a freezer container, making it perfect for quantity cooking and meal preparation.

Mediterranean Farro Salad Make-Ahead & Meal Prep Tips

The preparation time for this Greek farro salad recipe is about 15 minutes. You can prepare some of the ingredients, or all of them, a few days beforehand. The best part is that all you have to do to prepare dinner is toss everything together and serve it:

• Slice the vegetables. The majority of the preparation work for this farro salad recipe is done here! You may eliminate most of the labor-intensive steps in this recipe by dicing the cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and roasted red peppers.
• Blend the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, finely minced garlic, and dried oregano to create the Greek vinaigrette. Alternatively, you can pour all the materials in a mason jar, shake to incorporate, and then keep the container in the refrigerator until assembly.
• Before storage, cook the farro and let it cool completely. If you've already prepared the Greek dressing, serve it with the farro while it's still warm and save the leftover grains for another time. They'll take in every vibrant and garlicky flavor!

Greek farro salad is a wonderful dish to prepare ahead of time and eat throughout the week. We like to prepare it at the start of the week and keep it on hand for a quick supper or side dish. Although it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, it is best consumed within 3 days of assembly.