Mediterranean Farro Salad with a light, lemony dressing, crunchy vegetables and feta cheese is refreshing and perfect year-round!
Temperatures have been in the 90’s here until yesterday and will be in the low 80’s this week. So, I thought I’d get one more great salad to you before sharing some fall recipes!
We just returned from a lovely weekend in Charleston, South Carolina where farmer’s markets with fresh summery vegetables were still in full swing. There wasn’t a pumpkin in sight!
With the earthy color of the farro, Mediterranean Farro Salad is the perfect “transitional” salad into fall if you still have a few vegetables from your garden or you just can’t get into fall food yet with the high temperatures continuing in many parts of the country.
What is farro?
I’m becoming a huge fan of farro. It’s an ancient grain with a nutty flavor that’s very good for you. It has a satisfying chew similar to barley and it even looks like barley. Farro has been cultivated in Italy for centuries. It’s related to wheat so it’s not gluten-free.
You’ll generally find two types of farro: Whole-grain and pearled. Whole-grain farro can be tricky to cook and involves having to soak it overnight. However, pearled farro, which has some of the bran removed, is very easy to cook. Here’s more information on farro and how to cook it from Bob’s Red Mill.
To cook pearled farro, simply get a large saucepan of water boiling then salt it generously and let it cook away until it’s tender. When it’s cooked, let it drain in a sieve. This is referred to as the “pasta method.” I also cook brown rice this way and it produces beautiful, fluffy brown rice every time.
How to make Mediterranean Farro Salad:
- After cooking, draining and cooling the farro, some knife skills are all you need!
- Combine chopped scallion, red bell pepper, cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and lots of fresh Italian parsley.
- Add some garlic, lemon juice, good olive oil, salt and pepper….
- Place the Mediterranean Farro Salad on a serving platter, top with feta cheese, garnish with fresh parsley sprigs….
Voila!
Enjoy the rest of the warm weather while it’s still here and make this Mediterranean Farro Salad!
For more great Mediterranean-style salads, be sure to try my:
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Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing
Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing is a classic, elegant salad perfect for any occasion!
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Greek Vegetable Salad with Marinated Feta Cheese is a fresh, crunchy twist on the classic Greek salad!
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad is full of fresh, crunchy vegetables and bright, summery flavors! It's the perfect crowd-pleasing salad to take to your summer get-together.
Easy Fresh Tomato Salad
Easy Fresh Tomato Salad is the tomato salad you want to make this summer and every summer from now on. Fresh summer tomatoes take center stage with a supporting cast of a delicious vinaigrette dressing, finely chopped red onion, capers for a salty, briny kick and lots of fresh basil!
Cucumber Red Onion Salad with Feta Cheese
Cucumber Red Onion Feta Cheese Salad is crunchy, easy, delicious and comes together quickly! Perfect with anything you're serving this summer!
Cauliflower Antipasto Salad
Cauliflower Antipasto Salad is easy summertime fare that’s light, crunchy, crazy flavorful and perfect for feeding a crowd!
Helpful tools and equipment to make Mediterranean Farro Salad (Affiliate Links):
Mediterranean Farro Salad
Mediterranean Farro Salad with a light, lemony dressing, crunchy vegetables and feta cheese is light, refreshing and perfect year-round!
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 cup pearled farro
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 English cucumber, peeled if desired, seeded and diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped plus more parsley for garnish
- 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt and the farro. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until farro is tender but not mushy.
- Drain the farro in a sieve and rinse with cold running tap water. Set aside to drain thoroughly.
- Combine red bell pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, parsley, scallion and Kalamata olives in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Add drained farro to vegetables and stir to combine.
- Add dressing and stir.
- Transfer to a serving platter and top with feta cheese and parsley sprigs.
Notes
If you don't like the salad so lemony, start with 1/4 cup lemon juice and add more to taste.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 303 Total Fat 21g Saturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 12g Cholesterol 36mg Sodium 571mg Carbohydrates 21g Net Carbohydrates 0g Fiber 4g Sugar 6g Sugar Alcohols 0g Protein 10g
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