Mediterranean Farro Salad with Feta Cheese

This Farro Salad with Feta Cheese combines all the Mediterranean flavors into a healthy dish. Full of fresh ingredients, you will love the contrast between chewy and crunchy textures.

Growing up, farro was a staple in my family. One of the most recurrent meal as a child was minestrone con farro. My dad loved it so much that he even come up with the idea of selling it at the market. Well, probably because at home demand was not that high. We all preferred farro in salads, another dad’s recipe. A recipe he delightedly passed on to me.

Today I am happy to share my own version of Dad’s Recipe for Mediterranean Farro Salad. Quick and simple to make, this farro salad is a flavorsome meal for any occasion. As a healthy lunch or for a cozy dinner, everyone will love this farro recipe.

The ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you need to make Mediterranean farro salad with feta cheese:

• Farro
  Farro is an ancient grain rich in health benefits. Similar in size to rice, farro has more flavor and texture: a nutty flavor and chewy texture when cooked. From whole to pearled, there are many types of farro in the market. All can be used for this recipe, but the cooking time will change.

• Feta cheese
  This is not just another farro salad, this is a Mediterranean Farro Salad with Feta Cheese. Soft and crumbly, feta adds a delicious taste to your dish. Traditionally feta cheese is served in a large slices or cubes, however I like to crumble it inside the farro to get the salty flavor in every bite.

• Vegetables
  My recipe uses cooked carrots, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives. Besides packing your farro salad with nutrients, the different vegetables add different flavors and textures. Especially the sun-dried tomatoes, which we used to get fresh from Sicily, from my aunt.

• Fruit
  The fruit was not part of my dad’s recipe, it is my own touch to his Mediterranean farro salad. I love it and you will love it too. The pieces of Honeycrisp apple and raisins add freshness and create an awesome sweet contrast with the salty taste of feta cheese.

• Nuts
  This recipe uses walnuts and almonds. Besides being so delicious, crunchy chopped nuts create a good contrast with the chewy texture of the farro. Walnuts and almonds are also packed with nutritional benefits: fibers, healthy fats, omega-3, antioxidants, fibers and vitamins!

• Olive oil
  Extra virgin olive oil is a nutritious condiment rich in healthy fats, antioxidants and vitamins. Further, olive oil adds a delicious aroma to the farro salad.

• Seasonings
  This Mediterranean farro salad is seasoned with garlic powder, dried basil, Kosher salt and black pepper. As an alternative you can also use Italian seasonings in combination with salt. For a fresh taste, this recipe also calls for lemon juice. I prefer squeezing the lemon and making my own, but you can also use bottled lemon juice. It’s more convenient.

Substitutions

This farro salad recipe is so versatile, which means it can be adapted to your preferences and ingredients you have on hands.

• This is a farro salad recipe, but nothing holds you from using other whole grains. I recommend brown rice, spelt or kamut khorasan wheat.
• Replace feta cheese with mozzarella bites, cubes of Parmesan cheese or plant-based cheese alternatives.
• Instead of carrots and fresh spinach, use your favorite vegetables. Great picks are arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and broccoli florets.
• Be creative with fruit. As fresh fruit this time I opted for Honeycrisp apple, but also strawberries, blueberries, pears, kiwis, pomegranate and even oranges are great. Raisins can be replaced with chopped dates, dried figs or even dried mulberries.
• Replace walnuts and almonds with pecans, cashews or your favorite nuts. And if you have an allergy to nuts, stir in a mix of seeds instead. I like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
• Serve your Mediterranean farro salad with additional herbs, seasonings and condiments like fresh parsley, bay leaves, oregano, chili flakes, vinaigrette or sauces.

How to make farro salad with feta

First, you will need to cook the farro in salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente. The cooking time will change based on the type of farro that you use, but in general it should take from 15 to 20 minutes. When it’s ready, drain and let cool.

In the meantime, prepare all the remaining ingredients. Cut the vegetables and the fruit, chop the nuts, crumble the feta cheese and gather olive oil, seasonings and all additional ingredients.

Once you are done, place the cooked and cooled farro in a large mixing bowl and combine with all the prepared ingredients. Toss to combine, season to taste and adjust with more salt and pepper as desired. You can serve it right away or store for later.

How to store farro salad

This Mediterranean farro salad is also perfect for meal prepping. Leftovers will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days, if stored properly in the fridge. For the best storage, I recommend placing the leftover feta farro salad in an airtight food container. This will preserve the freshness and taste, without that your salad goes bad.

More healthy lunch and dinner recipes

• Chicken pasta salad
• Air fryer zucchini fries
• Tuscan chicken pasta
• Parmesan spinach pasta with chicken
• Protein pesto pasta