Italian Farro Salad Recipe

Urvashee Patel | Dessarts

Italian farro salad is packed full of nutrients and colorful veggies. It makes a delicious side dish or lunch bowl.

I make a lot of dessert in this house. In fact, I have a chocolate cake, muffins, and cookies sitting on my counter right now.

People always ask what I do with all of it. Well, I give a lot of it away, but I also eat it of course!

I’m ok with indulging in dessert because being healthy is top of mind the rest of the time. In fact, I’ve even been trying out some healthy desserts lately!

Italian Farro Salad Photo

As a vegetarian, I’m always looking for ways to get creative and explore all my options to maintain a balanced diet.

Eating the same type of food can get boring, so I’m happy to say that this Italian farro salad recipe has become one of those new options!

It’s full of fresh herbs, crunchy veggies and chewy nutritious farro.

What is farro?

Farro is a wheat grain that falls into the category of “ancient grains”. This means that they are the same today as they were during the earliest civilizations.

They have not undergone modifications in how they are grown and so they have retained more nutrition than modern grains.

Italian Farro Salad Picture

How healthy is farro?

Well, let’s just take a closer look at farro nutrition. A quarter cup of pearled farro contains 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of dietary fiber. Not bad for a grain, huh?

Farro also contains a good amount of iron, magnesium and zinc. I’d say it’s a much healthier option than a white rice dish. If you’re looking for gluten free though, keep in mind that farro is not gluten free!

Farro is super easy to prepare. You just have to boil it in water until it becomes soft and chewy. You should be aware that farro comes in three different varieties and cooking times for each will vary.

Italian Farro Salad Image

The most nutritious type is whole grain farro and can take 30-40 minutes and may need to be presoaked as well.

This type will also be the chewiest!  I had to pass on that one.

Semi-pearled has part of the bran removed and will cook a little faster than whole grain.

For this Italian herb farro salad, I used the pearled variety which only takes about 15 minutes to cook and is the least chewy.

Once it’s made, just mix it in with your favorite Italian herbs and veggies and drizzle on some balsamic vinaigrette for this tasty salad.

You can even add some extra greens like spinach or arugula to the salad.

Once you’ve had your salad for lunch,  you’ll feel ok digging into just a little bit of that chocolate cake. I definitely did!

Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?

How about looking for a new slow cooker dinner idea?

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Italian Farro Salad Recipe

    4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Farro
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Fresh Tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup Diced Onion
  • 1/4 cup Chopped Bell Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Chopped Italian Parsley
  • 2 tablespoons Finely Chopped Basil
  • 5 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

Directions

  1. Thoroughly rinse and drain the farro.
  2. Add 3 cups of water to a large pot along with the farro. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce it to medium-low heat and simmer until tender. About 15-20 minutes.
  3. Drain the farro and set it aside to cool.
  4. Whisk together the garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
  5. Combine the tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, parsley, and basil with the farro.
  6. Mix in the dressing and then mix in the cheese.
  7. Serve the salad at room temperature.

Notes

  • I used Italian pearled farro. Refer to your package’s cooking directions if you use a different type. Dijon mustard helps to emulsify the vinegar and oil. You can leave it out, if you do not have it.

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Published:
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Cooking Method:
Boiled
Cuisine:
Italian
Category:
Salads
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Related Recipes:
Vegetarian Recipes, Salad Recipes, Farro Recipes, Tomato Recipes, Italian Recipes, Easy Recipes, Easy Lunch Recipes, Side Dish Recipes, Boiled Recipes
Recipe Yields:
4 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: Urvashee Patel
Recipe Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 66
Calories 260

% Daily Value*
13%
Total Fat 8g
1%
  Saturated Fat 0g
26%
Sodium 612mg
11%
Total Carbohydrate 33g
4%
  Dietary Fiber 4g
  Sugars 2g
23%
Protein 11g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Urvashee Patel

About Urvashee

Urvashee blogs about delectable desserts on her blog, Dessarts. Lucky for us, she's sharing her delectable vegetarian dishes too as a Vegetarian Fanatic.

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