Mediterranean Farro Salad
The weather outside is finally gorgeous. The sunshine is stretching well into the evening. The walking paths in my neighborhood are teeming with happy exercisers. And I have been working out this month…inside.
This should not be so.
Here’s the thing, though, my elliptical is inside. And more importantly, my Netflix with House Of Cards is hooked up to it inside. And as much as I love going on long walks outside by the river near downtown KC after work, I have to admit, I am way more interested in those symphonic timelapse views of DC right now. And as much as I love unning into friends in my neighborhood on walks, I am way more interested in people-watching the politicians cruising in and out of Frank Underwood’s office. Oh yes, three years late to the show, I am now 100% hooked.
The great side effect of marathon-watching the show is that I am getting in fantastic shape lately! I mean, let’s be real, I’ve never been one of those people who really looks forward to working out each day. But I must tune in to see if the pieces of Frank’s latest conniving schemes are going to fall into place, and watch Claire’s poised and ultra-calculated response, and root for Doug to make better decisions, wish that I had my own Meechum to follow me around…
Yeah, I’d say this show beats a personal trainer for me. Haven’t missed a day. :)
Well, the other good news about spending so much time with the Underwoods is that all of this extra working out is propelling me to want to eat more healthy food to go along with it. So when I was craving a Greek gyro the other day, I decided to instead pull out some farro and whip up a chopped Mediterranean salad. It was easy, it was colorful, it was healthy, and I like to think it’s something Claire would dive into after a jog around the Capitol…eh?
The key ingredient to this salad, of course, is one of my favorite grains of late — farro.
I have been stocking this stuff in my pantry as much as quinoa. And while it’s not gluten-free like quinoa, I am such a fan of it. It’s chewy, it’s nutty, it’s extra tasty when cooked in broth (like quinoa), and it goes perfectly in this salad!
With it, I added some roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes (since fresh tomatoes still aren’t quite in season), red onion (or shallot), fresh parsley, cucumber, and lots of feta cheese.
Toss them all together with a quick and easy Greek vinaigrette. (I went easy on the vinaigrette portion to cut down on calories with this recipe.)
Whoosh!
And within minutes, this fresh and delicious and healthy Mediterranean Farro Salad is ready to go.
This recipe works perfectly as a side dish that you can serve with dinner, or if you’re grilling out or at a potluck. Or it is also plenty filling as a main course, especially after a nice workout on the elliptical. ;) Feel free to add in some grilled chicken or shrimp if you’d like, or just serve it meatless as is. I promise, it’s a keeper.
Cheers to healthy eating, and finally catching up on those shows that “everyone” is talking about… :)
Mediterranean Farro Salad
This Mediterranean Farro Salad is filled with fresh ingredients, lots of chewy delicious farro, and it’s tossed with a light Greek vinaigrette. Perfect as a side dish or main course, and for taking with you to a potluck!
Ingredients:
Salad Ingredients:
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed and drained
- 1 large cucumber, seeded and finely-diced
- 2/3 cup finely-diced roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup finely-diced sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- half of a small red onion, finely diced (about 2/3 cup)
- 1/4 cup finely-chopped fresh parsley
- Greek vinaigrette (see ingredients below)
Greek Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of garlic powder
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
Directions:
To Make The Salad:
Stir together stock and farro in a medium saucepan, and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Remove from heat, and drain off any extra stock once the farro is cooked. Let farro cool for at least 10 minutes.
Transfer farro to a large mixing bowl, and add in remaining ingredients, including the vinaigrette. Toss until combined.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
To Make The Greek Vinaigrette:
Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Use immediately.
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #gimmesomeoven. I'd love to see what you cook!
The hubs and I have been TRYING to find a new show to watch, and maybe we will have to try this House Of Cards (see I am even more behind than you!)
I also have yet to try farro (I live under a rock) so this post is bursting with new and delicious ideas! Pinned!
It’s SOOOO good! So is farro. : )
Quinoa doesn’t stand a chance next to farro in my book. I love when you cook with ancient grains! Congrats on getting in shape girl – keep it up!
I love them both, but I think yes, I think I agree with you! And thanks, girl! ; )
Umm that sounded weird. You’re already IN shape. Better shape? Hotter than you already are? You know what I meant. ;-)
Haha, that didn’t sound weird at all! But now you’ve gone and called me hot, so…
; P
I love salads like this that can be saved for weekday lunches!! This sounds awesome!
Thanks, Katrina!
I look forward to my daily workouts so I can zone out to my favorite shows! So glad you are watching HofC! It is SO good!
Yes, I really can’t get enough!
Oh I’m OBSESSED with HOC. Boyfriend and I watched Season 3 in 2 days!! And way to kill two birds with one stone!
Haha thanks Sarah! It’s definitely an easy show to binge on! : )
yumm so many summer vibes!!!
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Yum! Mediterranean food is my fave! I was a little bit late to the HOC party also, but now I can’t get enough!
xx Claire
It’s so good, right? Such an easy show to binge! And I hope you enjoy this recipe! : )
This is so pretty, Ali! I really need to get on the farro bandwagon. It looks so hearty and delicious!
Thanks, Jessica! I’m definitely really into it at the moment!
Oh, Claire… I am somewhat (but only slightly) bothered by how much I would like to emulate her. (Eek!) She brings classy conniving to a whole new level. [Admission: after we first started watching HOC, I started wearing only neutral colors, a simple ring and a watch. And would often ask my husband, “What would Claire wear?”]
Adding farro to my summer salad must-try list right now…..
I know, she may be evil, but she’s one classy lady! And oh my gosh, you have me laughing at your neutral colors, minimalist jewelry thing! lol I feel like Claire whenever I wear my sleek black zip-up track jacket for working out ; ) haha Hope you love the farro!
Love a good Mediterranean salad, because like you said they can be used in tons of ways!
Josh – The Kentucky Gent
http://thekentuckygent.com
I’m crazy for salads and Mediterranean food. Specially, I love tossing a salad when crave for something indulgent :) This salad is sure making to my dinner table soon :) thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sativa, I hope you love it! : )
I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes and was to lazy to roast the peppers, so I de-seeded the tomatoes and just diced an orange bell pepper. It was amazing that way, too!
Every recipe I have made from your blog has been a “keeper”. Thank God, because my kids are really sick of my go-to meals! Thank you!
Aww thanks Catherine, that’s so sweet! We’re happy you liked this recipe, and that you’re a fan of the blog — thanks for reading! :)
Amazing! Added grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes and a bunch of kale and turned it into a hearty meal!
Those additions sound awesome Lizzie, and we’re so glad you enjoyed this! :)
I always try to find alternatives to eat more vegetables and better eating habits. Your pictures are colourful and makes everything worth drooling for.
Thank you for posting this recipe! Ill be sure to use the hashtag. Considered this a saved post!
Thank you so much, Michelle! :)
Very nice recipe! Thanks!
Thanks June, we hope you enjoy! :)
I found myself the salad of my dreams!
Yay, we’re so glad you like this Ethan!
My daughter made the mediterranean farro salad I like it very much
Thanks for sharing Manal, we’re glad to hear that!
I have never tasted farro. I’ve never seen it in my local store. Is it hard to find? Also, how long does it take to cook?
You should be able to find farro in the rice section (near the quinoa, usually). It takes about 30 min to cook. We hope this helps!
Oh, this was yummy – first time I’ve tried farro. I also added diced avocado, which worked pretty well. Thanks for the recipe – definitely a do-over!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it Jenny! :)
I made a similar dish a few times and even soups. Farro is just an amazing cereal. I usually buy it when I am over to Italy as it is cheaper. I love the look of your salad, so fresh and healthy! I am going to make this very soon! Thanks for the lovely recipe :-)
Thanks Alida! We hope you enjoy it! :)
That salad looks soooo delicious. I also love adding roasted red peppers to the salads I make. I’m sure I’ll greatly enjoy this exquisite Mediterranean taste.
P.S. House of Cards is a great choice ;)
Thanks Kelly — we hope you love it! And we’re big fans of roasted red peppers and they would be a killer addition to this! :)
Are the roasted red peppers in a jar?
Yes, but sometimes we roast our own — you can do whichever you like! :)
What else would this work with in place of farro? I have a hard time finding it at my grocery store. Lots of quinoa, barley and couscous…
Honestly you could use just about any grain — but we think barley, freekeh, or Israeli couscous would work the best! We hope you enjoy! :)
how many calories does the Mediterranean Farro salad have? Some one asked me and i could not find it on your website.
thanks
kamal
Hi Kamal! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
Mediterranean food is love! Will definitely try this. Thank you for sharing Ali. :)
Thanks Marianela — we hope you love it! :)
This was delicious – heavy on the veggies with nice farro chewiness. I used a chopped zucchini instead of the cucumber, and fresh bell pepper instead of roasted.
I am guessing you could try this with barley if you couldn’t find farro?
We’re so glad you enjoyed it Rebecca! And yes, we think you could try this with barley instead of farro. You could also use bulgur/cracked wheat if you wanted.
I’ve made this a couple of times. Very delicious. Thanks for sharing!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carrie!
This salad was as easy to make as the recipe described and delicious! We all agreed it tasted a lot like tabouli with farro beans which was a delicious way to enjoy some whole grains. Thanks for the recipe! Ps, we’re all HoC fans, too!
We’re so glad it was a hit, Katelyn!
Looks amazing! Do you have nutrition information?
Thank you, Rachel! Unfortunately we do not. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
Made this for a cold side for Easter. Turned out really nice. Very healthy and delicious. To save time I used my spiralizer to cut the onion and cucumbers. Thanks!
LOVE this recipe! Travels well too, a major plus :)
Thank you, Aida, we’re so thrilled to know that! :)