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Make a simple, vibrant Mediterranean farro salad with nutty, chewy farro, plenty of fresh, crisp veggies, and a bright Greek vinaigrette – A crowd-pleasing summery side or main for picnics, BBQs, Potlucks, and more!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Summer is almost in full swing, which is, in our opinion, the best time to celebrate delicious Greek and Mediterranean salad flavors like a light vegan Greek cucumber salad, Mediterranean pasta salad, and this Mediterranean farro salad. It’s a fresh, vibrant, and surprisingly low-budget medley of hearty, nutty farro, fresh veggies, and zesty vinaigrette.
The combination is nutritious (with plenty of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants), hearty, wholesome, and a satisfying blend of textures, colors, and flavors. However, this crowd-pleasing farro summer salad is also really simple to prepare, comes together in under 30 minutes, and is even pretty versatile – enjoy it warm or chilled, as a side or main, and customize it endlessly.
Looking for more simple salads to transport you to the Mediterranean? Try Mediterranean giant couscous, lemon garlic quinoa salad, or chickpea lentil salad.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
Add depth to the farro salad dressing with Dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, and/or some sweetener (like maple syrup/agave), added to taste.
Recipe Add-Ins
- Lettuce: Add crunch with shredded Iceberg or Romaine lettuce. Arugula, spinach, or massaged kale (guide to kale) would work, too.
- Avocado: For rich creaminess, healthy fats, and plenty of antioxidants. Check out this guide to avocado here!
- Artichoke: Canned/jarred and finely chopped for lemony, earthy flavor.
- Vegan feta cheese: Use your favorite dairy-free feta (i.e., Violife) or make your own for more of a farro Greek salad.
- Seeds: i.e., toasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds for crunch, healthy fats, and a little protein.
How to Make Mediterranean Farro Salad
Step 1: In a medium pot, add the vegetable broth, and farro. Cook according to package instructions. Once cooked, transfer the farro to a colander and allow it to sit, and drain any excess liquid.
Step 2: Meanwhile, as the farro cooks, combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mix/shake thoroughly – set aside to ‘meld.’
Step 3: To assemble the salad, add the vegetables and rinsed chickpeas/beans in a large salad bowl along with the chopped parsley and 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Set aside in the refrigerator until the farro has cooled.
Step 4: Finally, toss the cooled farro into the bowl, add 3 more tablespoons of dressing, and mix well. Taste the salad and add salt if preferred. Then, optionally, leave it to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving it for the best flavor. Enjoy!
FAQs
Farro, pronounced ‘fah-roh,’ is a type of ancient whole-grain wheat similar in texture and appearance to barley. It’s chewy, nutty, a little earthy, and a great natural source of plant-based protein, fiber, iron, and even antioxidants.
Technically, yes, though I prefer to omit the cucumber. Warm farro salad can also be enjoyed by roasting the veggies.
No, farro is an ancient variety of wheat, so it is not gluten-free. You could use quinoa (guide to quinoa) or wild rice for a gluten-free version.
Pro Recipe Tips
- For less intense onion: Soak it in ice-cold water (or acidic dressing) for 10 minutes.
- Toast the farro: For added nutty flavor, lightly toast it in a dry skillet (or bake on a sheet tray at 350F for about 10 minutes) until browned and fragrant.
- Partially dress the farro while warm: It’s more absorbent at that point, so it soaks up the dressing well.
- Allow the flavors to meld: Once assembled, this summer farro salad benefits from at least 30 minutes of ‘marinating’ in the fridge. 1-2 hours is even better.
- Adjust the texture: By adjusting how finely you chop the veggies.
- To save time: A mandoline or vegetable chopper can speed up prep.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this hearty farro chickpea salad as a side or main at BBQs, picnics, potlucks, gatherings, and for family meals, with:
- A protein: Like grilled tofu or tempeh, kabobs, crispy tofu, mock meats, etc.
- A sandwich/wrap: Like a chickpea tuna sandwich, baked falafel pita, pesto bagel, cauliflower veggie wrap, or tofu lettuce wrap.
- Vegan burgers/hotdogs: Like white bean burgers or any of these 9 vegan burgers.
- Bread: Like garlic bread, bruschetta, vegan focaccia, etc.
- Grilled vegetables: Like zucchini, eggplant, corn, etc.
- With ‘sides’: Like vegan coleslaw, stuffed vine leaves, air fryer tortilla chips and dips, other mezze, etc.
Storage Instructions
This Mediterranean farro salad recipe benefits from being made an hour or two in advance and will taste freshest (and crunchiest) within the first day or two.
For longer-term storage, I recommend storing the dressing and chopped vegetables separately. That way, it could last up to 4 days.
If stored separately, cooked farro and the dressing will last up to a week in airtight containers in the fridge.
Mediterranean Farro Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 2 tablespoons of olive brine
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of garlic granules or powder
- 2 teaspoons of dry oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Farro:
- 3 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed and drained
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 cup of kalamata olives, halved
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can of chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup of chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the vegetable broth, and farro. Cook according to package instructions. Once cooked, transfer the farro to a colander and allow it to sit, and drain any excess liquid.
- While the farro is cooking, in a small jar make the dressing. Mix the water, olive brine, red wine vinegar, garlic granules or powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Close the lid and shake well until all the ingredients are fully combined. Set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, add the cucumbers, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onions, olives, chickpeas or cannellini beans, and chopped parsley. Add 3 tablespoons of dressing. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator until the farro has cooled.
- Once the farro is at room temperature, add it to the bowl, add 3 tablespoons of dressing, and mix well. Taste and adjust any salt levels if needed. Mix well and optionally allow it to sit in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes for a more flavorful salad.
Notes
- For less intense onion: Soak it in ice-cold water (or acidic dressing) for 10 minutes.
- Toast the farro: For added nutty flavor, lightly toast it in a dry skillet (or bake on a sheet tray at 350F for about 10 minutes) until browned and fragrant.
- Partially dress the farro while warm: It’s more absorbent at that point, so it soaks up the dressing well.
- Allow the flavors to meld: Once assembled, this summer farro salad benefits from at least 30 minutes of ‘marinating’ in the fridge. 1-2 hours is even better.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
I’ve made this every week for the past month since my garden has been giving me lots of cucumber and cherry tomatoes! I love the fresh flavor. I’ve added a block of tofu (cubed) to the mix to increase the protein content. Also, the suggested 1/2 c parsley was a bit much for my taste, so I cut the amount in half from original recipe.
Excellent recipe – thank you:)
That’s so awesome! I bet it tastes extra fresh coming from your garden!
I’ve made this so many times and I love it, however, it seems to have changed recently – where are the kidney beans and I don’t remember adding olive brine to the dressing and some other ingredients have changed. I didn’t notice until I tasted it and was like, “Wait, something is wrong” – Is there a place to find the old recipe? This is good, but I was in love with the old recipe! 😭
Look delish. Is there no oil in this recipe or is that a mistake?
Hi! That’s correct! Let us know if you give it a go 🙂
So yummy and filling! Love this salad!
Easy and delicious, and my kids love it too!
So happy to hear that everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
Used kale and green onions from my garden and OMG this recipe hit the spot! Not only is it delish warm, but I’m throwing it in the fridge to chill bc I know it will be a refreshing midday salad in a few hours! Thanks!
Love to hear it! Bet it was extra fresh coming from your garden!
This was absolutely delicious! I did add toasted walnuts, and I also added a homemade parmesan. This will be a regular in our house.
Love those additions! I’ll have to try that out soon!
I just bought some farro to try for the first time. Now I know what I’ll make!
Nice!! This recipe is calling your name!