This refreshing and nutritious Greek Farro Salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavors. Farro is combined with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, tangy feta cheese, peppery arugula, and tossed with a homemade Greek dressing.
My Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers and Tomatoes is another wholesome salad loaded with crunch!
I’ve been on a bit of a farro kick lately. My husband and I eat a mostly low-carb diet but I happily include this healthy whole grain in our meals from time to time.
With summer ingredients in abundance, I decided to whip up my flavor-packed Greek Salad, add a can of chickpeas, some cooked farro, and a couple of handfuls of peppery arugula. I tossed the whole gorgeous thing with my made from scratch Greek dressing and this hearty, delicious salad was born.
This Greek Farro Salad is a super satisfying and wholesome side dish for grilled meats in the summer and makes a super satisfying meal prep lunch.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Farro – I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Farro, a pearled farro that cooks a bit more quickly than whole farro. Any type of farro will work, just cook it in salted water according to the directions on the package. Not familiar with farro? Read more about this nutritious grain below.
- Canned chickpeas – Also known as garbanzo beans.
- Veggies – Cherry tomatoes in mixed colors, English cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion.
- Olives – Pitted Greek Kalamata olives provide that classic, briny flavor.
- Crumbled feta cheese – To toss with the salad and a little more for garnish.
- Herbs and greens – Italian parsley and baby arugula
- Greek salad dressing – Extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
What is Farro?
Farro is a nutrition powerhouse! This ancient whole grain is packed with fiber and essential vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc and some B vitamins. It’s also an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and is rich in protein to help boost energy and make you feel full and satisfied. When farro is combined with legumes like the chickpeas in this recipe, it becomes a complete, plant-based source of protein.
Farro has a nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture and works well as a base for grain bowls, stirred into soups, and tossed into salads. It’s a far more nutritious alternative to refined grains like white rice.
Farro comes from wheat and contains gluten so is not a safe choice for people who are gluten-intolerant.
How to Cook Farro
- Place the farro in a fine wire mesh colander and rinse it well with warm water.
- In a Dutch oven over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the the salt and the rinsed farro, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium to medium-high as needed to reach a low boil.
- Continue to cook, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender (it will still have a bite to it).
- Pour the cooked farro and any remaining water in the pot into a fine mesh colander to drain and rinse it well with cold water until cool to the touch. Drain well and transfer to a large serving bowl.
Pro Tip
Farro is cooked by boiling it in a large amount of water. Unlike rice, there will be some water left at the end of the cooking time which should be drained off.
How to Make Greek Farro Salad
- Make the Greek Dressing – Add the dressing ingredients to a mason jar or other airtight container, seal the lid and shake it until well combined and slightly thickened.
- Assemble the Salad – To a large serving bowl, add the cooked and cooled farro, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, olives, feta cheese, and parsley, and arugula. Toss well to combine then drizzle about ¾ of the dressing over the top and toss again. Add as much of the remaining dressing as desired.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Make-Ahead: Greek Farro Salad is an excellent make-ahead dish. Assemble the salad as directed, without the arugula, then cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, stir in the arugula and sprinkle the salad with additional feta. I recommend reserving a small amount of dressing to add just before serving, if needed. Just like pasta, farro can absorb liquid as it rests which will make it even more flavorful.
- Storage: Dishes that contain cooked grains should not sit at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly for up to 4 to 5 days. The arugula will begin to wilt a bit once tossed with the dressing (which isn’t that big of a deal for me) but if you’re making this salad for meal prep, stir the arugula in just before serving.
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Greek Farro Salad
Ingredients
- ¾ cup farro, (like Bob’s Red Mill)
- 3 quarts water, (12 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt, for water
- 15.5 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
- 1 heaping cup halved cherry tomatoes, mixed colors
- 1 cup diced English cucumber, unpeeled
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese, plus additional for garnish
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 cups baby arugula
Greek Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons honey
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the farro in a fine wire mesh colander and rinse well with warm water.
- In a Dutch oven over HIGH heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the the salt and the rinsed farro, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to MEDIUM to MEDIUM-HIGH as needed to reach a low boil. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender (it will still have a bite to it). Pour the cooked farro and any remaining water in the pot into a fine mesh colander to drain and rinse it well with cold water until cool to the touch. Drain well and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- While the farro is cooking, make the dressing. Add all the ingredients to a mason jar or other airtight container, seal tightly with the lid, and shake vigorously until combined and slightly thickened.
- Add the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, olives, feta cheese, and parsley (reserve arugula for later) to the bowl with the farro and toss well to combine. Drizzle about ¾ of the dressing over the top and toss again. Add as much of the remaining dressing as desired (I only used about ¾ total). Just before serving, stir in the arugula and sprinkle with additional feta.
- Note: If making ahead, cover and refrigerate before adding arugula. When ready to serve, stir in arugula and garnish with additional feta.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
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