Farro Salad with Apples and Arugula

We’ve fallen in love with this delicious farro salad made with cooked farro, sweet apples, greens, and a bright salad dressing. Farro is a nutty whole grain that’s absolutely perfect in salads like this one.

farro salad made with cooked farro, sweet apples and greens

Related: We love this simple arugula salad with couscous, cucumbers, and feta!

What is Farro?

In recent months, farro has become one of our favorite grains to keep stocked in our pantry. Farro is an ancient whole grain derived from wheat. Farro is not gluten-free, however, it is a tasty whole grain that’s rich in protein and fiber.

Farro tastes nutty and has a slightly chewy texture when cooked. It’s a similar size to rice, but has much more flavor. It is simple to prepare and can be added to a variety of dishes including soups, sides, and salads like this recipe.

From our experience, we have seen farro sold in the following ways:

  • Whole farro — The grain is left completely in tact, which means when cooked, whole farro has a bit more flavor and the texture is a bit chewier. Whole farro also requires the longest cook time, about 40 minutes.
  • Cracked, Semi-Pearled or Pearled Farro — Some of or all of the bran has been removed, which means the cook time will be a bit less and the texture less chewy.

Whole, cracked, and pearled farro can be used interchangeably in this farro salad recipe, as well as most other farro recipes. Be sure to take note of the cooking instructions on the package of the farro you purchased in order to gauge cook time and liquid requirements.

Farro Salad with Apples and Arugula

Farro Substitutes

If you are unable to find farro or would like to use a different grain in its place, try these substitutes in our salad.

farro salad made with cooked farro, sweet apples and greens

How to Make Farro Salad

We’ve fallen pretty hard for this simple salad with farro and apples. The dressing is fresh and bright, which works so well with the nuttiness of the farro and sweetness of the apples.

For crunch, we add nuts. I love toasted pecans or walnuts, but other nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, and even peanuts will work as well. For a little extra sweetness and a chewy texture, we add some dried fruit. It’s up to you as to which dried fruit you add, but we especially enjoy golden raisins.

Farro Salad Ingredients

To make the salad, I start by whisking my dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. When the dressing is made, I toss in cooked farro, apples, nuts, dried fruit, lots of fresh herbs, and some greens. We added arugula to the salad pictured, but you can use any salad green. If you have any apples leftover, try making a batch of homemade applesauce!

Make ahead tip: If you are making this ahead of time, I’d go for a heartier salad green like kale or collard greens instead of the arugula. Arugula is delicious in this, but it does wilt quickly. Another option is to keep the greens to the side of the salad and mix them in just before serving.

Farro Salad with Apples and Arugula

More Hearty Salad Recipes To Try

Farro Salad with Apples and Arugula

  • PREP
  • COOK
  • TOTAL

We’ve fallen in love with this delicious farro salad made with cooked farro, sweet apples, greens, and a bright salad dressing. Farro is sold as whole farro, cracked, and pearled farro. All will work in this salad, but the cook time will change depending on what you have. Check the package directions for guidance on actual cook time and liquid requirements.

Makes 4 servings

You Will Need

For the Farro

1 cup uncooked whole farro, see notes

3 cups water or stock, try our veggie stock or chicken stock

1 bay leaf

For the Salad

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium apple, cored and sliced into 1-inch pieces

3 cups arugula or salad greens

Handful fresh herbs, torn into small pieces, see notes for suggestions

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins or other dried fruit

1 1/2 ounces crumbled goat cheese, optional

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

  • Cook Farro
  • 1Add water or broth, farro, bay leaf, and a big pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until farro is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain the farro.

  • Make Dressing
  • 1In a large salad bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, and honey or maple syrup until blended. Gradually add the oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing looks well blended and creamy. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

  • To Finish
  • 1Add the sliced apples, cooked and drained farro, arugula, herbs, nuts, and the raisins. Toss well. Crumble goat cheese on top, and then serve.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • To toast the nuts, spread the nuts out in an even layer on a sheet pan, and slide them them into a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven. Toast 6 to 8 minutes or until they smell toasty, shaking the pan halfway during cooking.
  • Fresh herbs are lovely in this salad, although, if you do not have any on hand, you can leave them out. When I have them, I love a combination of fresh mint and parsley added to this salad. Dill and basil are also delicious.
  • Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

Nutrition Per Serving Calories 531 / Total Fat 27.8g / Saturated Fat 5g / Cholesterol 8.4mg / Sodium 224.9mg / Carbohydrate 61.5g / Dietary Fiber 10.1g / Total Sugars 17.6g / Protein 11.2g
AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher
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7 comments… Leave a Review
  • Helen June 30, 2021, 4:21 pm

    Served it today at an office potluck. Big success with numerous requests for the recipe. The dressing is so easy, but it’s just perfectly balanced. I used a little of both maple syrup and honey in the dressing and found a good quality local goat feta. I think quality ingredients really shine in a simple salad and the fresh herbs were the stars in this dish. My husband and I love farro, so I know I’ll make this again. The only thing I omitted was the bay leaf listed in the ingredients list. It’s not included in the directions, so I left it out.

    Reply
    • Adam July 2, 2021, 2:14 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it! Good catch on the missing bay leaf in the instructions. Just fixed it 😀

      Reply
  • Adele May 4, 2021, 4:55 am

    Made this today for a bring a dish lunch. It was delicious and I will definitely be making this again. I didn’t have any mint or parsley but will try these next time too.

    Reply
  • Mary June 29, 2020, 3:59 pm

    can Quinoa be used instead of farro?

    Reply
    • Joanne June 30, 2020, 12:26 pm

      Sure! Quinoa would be excellent.

      Reply
  • Jill November 17, 2019, 11:33 am

    I want to make this for a party- about 16-20 people. How do you think I should adjust the recipe? Also is this served warm? I have to make it the day before- any suggestions

    Reply
    • Joanne November 17, 2019, 1:48 pm

      Hi Jill, The recipe makes 4 main servings. It depends on how many other dishes you are planning to serve. If this will be the only dish served, you probably want to multiply the ingredients by 4 (or 5). If this is one of multiple dishes, I’d just double the recipe. We like the salad served warm or cold. It’s up to you. If you are making it the day before, make the salad, and toss it really well so that the apples are well coated in the dressing, but leave the arugula out (it wilts slightly over time). Then toss in the arugula before serving.

      Reply

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