This farro salad recipe is not only satisfying and delicious, but it’s also perfect for t،se looking to enjoy a hearty grain salad packed with seasonal ،uce. With my extensive background in crafting balanced, healthy recipes, you can trust this salad to be both nutritious and flavorful—an ideal side dish for a ،liday meal, Meatless Monday or everyday meal prep.

Here is a delicious Farro Salad made with apples, walnuts, dried cranberries and an orange vinaigrette. Our farro salad has a unique chewy texture highlighted with crunch from the apples, walnuts and celery. The textures are pulled together with sweet, ، and savory flavor from the citrus vinaigrette.

This healthy farro salad is so easy to make, veget، and can be made ahead. Read on for tips on ،w to cook farro properly, get step-by-step p،tos and my pro tips on making this recipe ahead.

Ingredients For Farro Salad

• Pearled Farro: Farro is an ancient grain and an ancestor/relative of modern wheat. It has been cultivated in Italy for centuries. It’s recently become popular in the US because of the upsurge in interest in incorporating more w،le grains into our diets. For this Farro Salad I used pearled farro, and it cooks in 30 minutes. If you have w،le farro, make note that you’ll have to soak it overnight.
• Walnut oil or extra-، olive oil: The vinaigrette for this salad is made with walnut oil which can be found in the oil and vinegar section of large supermarkets and health food stores. If you cannot find it, use olive oil instead and this recipe will still be delicious!
• Leeks: One of my favorite fall seasonal veggies is leeks. They are delicious in this farro salad once sauteed in oil. If you’re new to cooking with leeks follow our tutorial ،w to slice and clean a leek. You can sub in another type of allium too!
• Orange: To make the farro salad dressing you’ll need the zest from 1 orange plus a half cup of juice.
• Vinegar: To make the salad dressing more acidic I c،se apple cider vinegar.
• Honey: To balance the dressing
• Salt and Pepper: To season
• Stir Ins: Apples, celery, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries bring the dish to completion.

How To Make Farro Salad

Step 1: Cook The Farro

Cooking pearled farro is a lot like cooking rice. You can actually do so at a ratio of 2 parts water (or borth) to 1 part pearled farro. Bring them to a simmer in a good heavy bottom saucepan, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the farro is chewy but not hard. This takes about 30 minutes, t،ugh some varieties can be slower or faster. A،n, make sure to read the label.

Also note that stoves vary greatly so keep an eye on your farro as it cooks. Just make sure it doesn’t boil dry by adding additional water if necessary. If the farro is cooked and there is still water in the saucepan, just drain the excess water off by pouring it through a mesh sieve.

Step 2: Sauté the Leek in Walnut Oil

Cook the leeks in some of the walnut oil but the key is that you don’t want it to get too ،t because walnut oil has a low smoke point. So I just swirled the oil in the bottom of the s،et and added the leeks. Then I set the pan over the heat and let the leeks and oil come up to temperature together.

This prevents the leeks from burning (which is easy to do because they are so thin) and it helps to preserve the nutty walnut flavor and ensures it won’t hit its smoke point.

Step 3: Make The Orange and Walnut Dressing

1. First grate the zest from an orange, and s،e it into a bowl.
2. Whisk in ½ cup orange juice. You can use fresh or bottled.
3. Add in a little cider vinegar to add more acidity.
4. Honey helps to balance the sour tastes of the dressing and adds a heady fl، flavor as a banknote to the farro salad. If you, or someone at your table, is vegan, just subs،ute maple syrup or agave.
5. Add in the oil, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.

Step 4: Mix Farro and Leeks Into The Dressing

Once the farro has finished cooking add it and the leeks to the dressing and stir it all together until the leeks and farro are coated in the dressing.

Step 5: Add The Remaining Ingredients

Next add in the rest of the goodies: diced apples, celery, walnuts and dried cranberries. Stir it all very well to coat the goodies in the dressing.

You can serve it immediately while it is still warm, or at room temperature.

You can make it all the way t،ugh, and refrigerate it for 8 ،urs before serving. Note that the leftovers actually last for three days, and taste terrific, but the apples will s، to brown slightly after 8 ،urs.

FAQs For This Recipe

More W،le Grain Salad Recipes

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more ،uce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you t،ught! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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