Description
A refreshing and nutritious Mediterranean Farro Salad packed with colorful vegetables, hearty farro, olives, and chickpeas, all tossed in a tangy homemade dressing. Perfect as a light lunch or a side dish, this salad combines wholesome ingredients for a satisfying and healthy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
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
Salad
- 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
- Cook the Farro: In a medium pot, add the vegetable broth and rinsed farro. Cook according to package instructions, typically around 25-30 minutes, until the farro is tender but still chewy. Once cooked, transfer it to a colander and allow it to drain and cool.
- Prepare the Dressing: While the farro cooks, combine water, olive brine, red wine vinegar, garlic granules or powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Close the lid and shake well until fully mixed. Set aside to infuse flavors.
- Assemble the Vegetables: In a large salad bowl, combine diced cucumber, bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, halved kalamata olives, chickpeas or cannellini beans, and chopped parsley. Add 3 tablespoons of the prepared dressing and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate this mixture until the farro is cooled.
- Combine Salad and Farro: Once the farro has cooled to room temperature, add it to the salad bowl with the vegetables. Pour in an additional 3 tablespoons of dressing and mix well. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Optionally, refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- Rinse the farro thoroughly before cooking to remove any debris.
- For a vegan version, this recipe is already suitable as it contains no animal products.
- You may substitute vegetable broth with water if unavailable, but broth adds more flavor.
- Letting the salad chill after combining enhances flavor melding.
- Use fresh parsley for best flavor; dried parsley won’t provide the same freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Mediterranean farro salad, farro salad, healthy salad, vegan salad, chickpea salad, Mediterranean cuisine, vegetable salad, farro recipe
