Mediterranean Farro Salad (Printable version)
Hearty farro with cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and herbs tossed in zesty lemon-olive oil dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked farro
02 - 3 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 large cucumber, diced
06 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
→ Cheese
08 - 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
→ Fresh Herbs
09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
→ Dressing
11 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - Juice of 1 large lemon
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
# How to Prepare:
01 - Rinse farro under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine farro, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes until tender but chewy. Drain and let cool slightly.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
03 - Add cooked farro, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, parsley, and mint to the bowl with dressing. Toss gently until evenly combined.
04 - Fold crumbled feta cheese into the salad mixture carefully to preserve texture.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- Farro stays chewy and satisfying even hours later, so this salad actually tastes better the next day.
- It's filling enough for lunch but light enough that you won't feel weighed down afterward.
- You can throw it together in under an hour, and it feeds four people without any fuss.
02 -
- Add the feta just before serving if you're making this more than a few hours ahead—it holds better that way and doesn't get soggy or lose its texture.
- Don't skip the cooling step for the farro or you'll end up with a warm mush instead of distinct, chewy grains.
03 -
- Whisk the dressing in the bottom of your bowl first, then add the warm farro so it absorbs the oil and acid right away instead of needing to be tossed repeatedly.
- Taste as you go and adjust salt and lemon juice last—both are strong, and what seems right at first can feel like too much after the salad sits for an hour.