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Home » Recipes » Salads and Salad Dressings

Mediterranean Farro Salad

Published: Apr 1, 2023 · Modified: Oct 14, 2024 by Marisa Franca

Jump to Recipe

This chewy Farro Salad is one of my favorite one-pan salads, combining the nutty flavor of farro with broth-rich sauteed vegetables and pecorino. 

The salad is tossed in a delicious lemon vinaigrette and can be enjoyed warm or cold alongside some crusty Italian bread and a choice of meat for a nutritious meal.

Two bowls of Mediterranean Farro Salad with Kale, Grape Tomatoes, and dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.
An easy one-pot farro salad with fresh ingredients and zest vinaigrette.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why I love this recipe
  • 🛒 Ingredients
  • 🗒 Instructions
  • 🔪 Equipment
  • 🤔 FAQs
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 Tips
  • 📚 Variations
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 📗 Related Recipes
  • 🍽 Serve with
  • 📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
  • 📝 Recipe Card
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why I love this recipe

  • This delicious farro salad can be served warm or cold - giving you more options! 
  • Using hardy kale instead of spinach and arugula in this recipe means avoiding a wilted mess.
  • This farro salad is packed with fresh ingredients and many health benefits.

Enjoy this warm and chewy farro salad with lemon and herb vinaigrette as a delicious side dish for holidays, midweek family meals, or potlucks!

🛒 Ingredients

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Image of the ingredients needed to make the Mediterranean Kale Farro Salad with Lemon vinaigrette.

Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.

  • semi-pearled dry farro
  • shallots
  • red pepper flakes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • kale
  • chicken broth -- may also use beef or vegetable broth
  • grape tomatoes - can also substitute cherry tomatoes
  • balsamic vinegar
  • kosher salt
  • pecorino cheese - may also use parmesan cheese
  • fresh lemon - zest and juice
  • fresh basil
  • ground black pepper

🗒 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.

First four steps to making the Mediterranean farro salad served warm with kale and pecorino cheese.
  1. Boil water with salt in a saucepan. Cook the farro on simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside.
  2. Saute the shallots with garlic, pepper flakes, and oil over medium heat.
  3. Stir in the kale with the broth until softened.
  4. Add the tomatoes, salt, vinegar, pecorino, and zest.
The final four steps to making the warm Mediterranean Farro Salad with Kale and a lemon vinaigrette dressing.
  1. Add the farro.
  2. Stir to combine.
  3. Make the vinaigrette by combining the basil, oil, lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper.
  4. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and serve.

🔪 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

  • Saucepan
  • Deep skillet
  • Mixing spoon
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Dry measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Small glass bowl

🤔 FAQs

These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making the Mediterranean Farro Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette recipe.

What is farro salad made of?

This farro salad combines chewy farro with sauteed sweet cherry tomatoes, shallots, kale, and a lemon vinaigrette.

What is farro and how do you eat it?

Farro is whole-grain wheat that has a nutty flavor and can be enjoyed as a side dish or a main meal, depending on the ingredients added to it. You eat farro as you would eat rice or quinoa.

Is farro a vegetable

No. It is a type of whole grain that can be used as a base for cold salads, warm salads, stews, and soups or as a substitute for rice and pasta.

Which is healthier quinoa or farro?

Both quinoa and farro are healthy options when eaten in moderation. Farro is higher in carbohydrates but also contains more calcium.

Closeup of a serving spoon in a skillet filled with warm Tuscan Farro Salad made with Kale and topped with lemon vinaigrette.
Hardy kale and chewy farrow offer delicious texture to this nutritious salad.

👩🏻‍🍳 Tips

  • I prefer using organic Tuscan kale from Trader Joe's for this salad.I t’s already cleaned and torn into piece. 
  • Much like pasta and rice, it’s important to cook the farro with enough salt before combining it with the rest of the ingredients. 
  • Always use high-quality extra virgin olive oil when making the vinaigrette dressing for the best flavor.
  • Enjoy this tasty salad warm or cold.

📚 Variations

  • Instead of the juicy tomatoes, use sun-dried tomatoes.
  • For extra flavor, add apple cider to the saucepan with water when cooking the farro. 
  • You can also add spinach or peppery arugula to this salad, but only fold it into the salad just before serving so that it doesn’t wilt. 
  • Use low-sodium broth to reduce the salt intake in this dish. 
  • Add feta cheese to this salad for a Greek influence. 
  • Add black olives to this farro salad for a greater Mediterranean influence. 

🥫 Storage

Store leftover farro grain salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

I don’t recommend freezing this tasty farro salad, the nutty texture of the wholesome grain and the vegetables may alter. 

Serving spoon holding a helping of Farro Salad with Kale, tomatoes, and pecorino cheese and mixed with a lemon vinaigrette.
Enjoy this tasty farro salad as a side dish or main meal, warm or cold.

📗 Related Recipes

  • Farro With Tomatoes - Chewy farro cooked in an onion-tomato seasoning as a delicious and easy one-pan meal.
  • Farro Tabbouleh With Kale - A green herbal salad with nutty farro for added texture and bold flavor.
  • Farro And Peas - Swap out rice for farro in this adapted Venetian Risi e Bisi for a healthy family dish.
  • Mediterranean Pearl Couscous Salad - A delicious pasta salad with fresh summery vegetables, olives, feta cheese and a light lemony vinaigrette.

🍽 Serve with

Enjoy this delicious salad as an easy side dish with grilled chicken thighs, pork chops, or other Mediterranean recipes.

Turn this Mediterranean farro salad into a main meal by adding shredded chicken or turkey to the mixture. 

📞 Chiacchierata (chat)

Farro recipes have quickly become high on my list of favorites. In fact, if you’ve been following me for a while then you’re likely to have come across dishes such as Grilled Rosemary Chicken With Farro Risotto and Farro Salad served in lettuce cups.

These are just two examples of how versatile this ancient whole grain is, not to mention the high nutritional value, deliciously nutty flavor, and chewy texture they bring to any dish!

Another salad you may enjoy is our Tuna Bow Tie Pasta Salad. Everyone loves the adorable farfalle pasta and the taste is perfect for summer and outings.

Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!

Overhead view of Mediterranean Kale Warm Farro Salad with tomatoes and pecorino cheese.

What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.

📝 Recipe Card

This easy one-pan farro salad combines chewy farro with sauteed vegetables and pecorino in a flavorful reduced broth tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. Enjoy this tasty salad as a side dish, or add your choice of protein for a wholesome main meal.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

📖 Recipe

Warm Mediterranean Farro Salad With Kale and a Lemon Vinaigrette dressing.

Mediterranean Warm Kale Farro Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Mediterranean farro salad with kale, grape tomatoes and pecorino cheese can be served warm or cold. The dressing is a fresh tasting basil-lemon vinaigrette.
4.88 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 431kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

For the Farro Boil

  • 3 ¼ cups water
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups semi-pearled dry farro rinsed (12 oz.) This is to prevent farro grains from sticking, rinse away excess starch under cool water before cooking.

Sauté

  • ½ cup sliced shallots
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 7 cups chopped kale 10 oz.**
  • ¼ cup chicken beef or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup shaved pecorino 1.5 oz.
  • Zest of 1 lemon

For the Vinaigrette, Whisk

  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper q.b. quanto basta to taste
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

  • For the farro: boil 3 ¼ cups water ad ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Add the rinsed farro, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 15-20 minutes; remove from heat ad drain any excess water.
  • Sauté shallots, garlic, and pepper flakes in 1 Tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over medium-heat, 1 minute. Stir in kale and ¼ cup broth; cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, vinegar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in farro, pecorino, and zest.
  • For the vinaigrette, whisk together basil, ¼ cup oil, and lemon juice; season with ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss salad with vinaigrette to coat.

Notes

** We buy organic Tuscan kale from Trader Joe -- it's already cleaned and in torn pieces.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 717mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 8400IU | Vitamin C: 104.3mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 3.2mg

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    I know it must seem that we use kale a lot but our Warm Tuscan Farro Salad wouldn't be the same without kale.

    Warm Tuscan Farro Salad includes kale , grape tomatoes and shaved pecorino @allourway.com
    Warm Tuscan Farro Salad

    Mangia bene; Vive bene { Eat well; Live well} 

    Alla prossima.

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    266 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy

      July 29, 2019 at 9:29 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent! I added grated pecorino Romano/Parmesan because I didn’t have shaved and it was still delicious!

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        July 30, 2019 at 7:18 am

        So glad you enjoyed it, Amy! Shaved Romano/Parmesan cheese will always work! xoxo

        Reply
    2. Heather

      July 02, 2018 at 7:19 am

      5 stars
      This is the perfect salad for summer! I love farro and we eat a lot of light meals when the summer heat really starts to kick in. I love that this can be eaten warm or cold and the flavor combination sounds amazing

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        July 02, 2018 at 3:44 pm

        Hi, Heather! Sometimes I feel like I'm making just farro recipes -- we just like it so much.

        Reply
    3. Michele

      July 02, 2018 at 6:57 am

      5 stars
      That salad looks mouth-watering! It's simply gorgeous. Looks so fresh, healthy and delish!

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        July 02, 2018 at 3:46 pm

        Thank you, Michele! It is a great recipe any time of year. It's great on a picnic.

        Reply
    4. Amanda Mason

      July 02, 2018 at 12:33 am

      5 stars
      This recipe looks amazing! I love all these ingredients! I'm all about kale so keep all the kale coming! What a perfect side dish for so many mains! Love the flavor in this dish!

      Reply
    5. Sri Mallya

      July 01, 2018 at 10:16 pm

      5 stars
      I have never tried farro before. Your recipe sounds so flavorful. Perfect for summer. Thank you so much for sharing this healthy salad.

      Reply
    6. elcitrakale

      July 01, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      İ am not familiar with farro here. Can İ use pearl couscous or whole wheat bulgur? this salad sounds fantastic to entertain my famliy

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        July 01, 2018 at 6:58 pm

        Absolutely! I don't see why it wouldn't work. The taste is great and it is so good for you!! Let me know how it turns out.

        Reply
    7. Kim @ Berly's Kitchen

      July 01, 2018 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      A warm farro salad would be so good for today's lunch. I've been craving something light for summer and this would be perfect!

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        July 01, 2018 at 6:59 pm

        Hi, Kim! It is a great salad and it's also great cold too if you have any left over.

        Reply
    8. Karyl Henry

      June 30, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      I love farro, but I always seem to run out of ways to use it. This looks like a perfect new dish! I love the mix of flavors, especially that you add hearty kale. What a great one-two nutrition punch

      Reply
    9. prasanna hede

      June 30, 2018 at 2:28 pm

      This salad looks like a complete meal,definitely perfect for dinner or lunch too.So many wonderful flavors.

      Reply
    10. Veena Azmanov

      June 29, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      5 stars
      This would be a meal for me. I love having scrumptious salads like this, especially now that the weather is so hot and humid. This looks so light and refreshing. I love kale very much. Going to have to try this soon.

      Reply
    11. Shanna Jones

      June 28, 2018 at 9:42 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely loving all of the fresh ingredients! And the texture of farro is one of my favorites. Great recipe idea! With the heat here in Houston, this would be great cold.

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        June 28, 2018 at 12:29 pm

        Hi, Shanna! It is terrific cold. Stay cool and have a great 4th of July!!

        Reply
    12. Jenni LeBaron

      June 27, 2018 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      This looks fantastic. I especially love all those juicy, blistered tomatoes!

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        June 28, 2018 at 6:41 am

        Thank you, Jenni! They taste wonderful!!

        Reply
    13. Gloria

      May 05, 2018 at 9:36 am

      5 stars
      Wow what a great "full meal" salad. I love all the flavours happening here. This would be a great dinner any night of the week. Farro is under used...and that reminds me I need to make some soon. Love the texture and nutty flavour.

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        May 07, 2018 at 12:06 pm

        Hello, Gloria! It is flavorful and nutritious!!

        Reply
    14. Veena Azmanov

      May 04, 2018 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so refreshing and light. I love kale and am always looking for ways to eat them. This farro salad would be a perfect dinner for me. I love such light meals for dinner.

      Reply
    15. Sandra

      January 27, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      I like the idea of serving this salad cold for either a potluck or packing it up for my husband and me to take to work for lunch! The ingredients for vinaigrette are so fresh and light...perfect!

      Reply
    16. Denise Wright

      January 27, 2018 at 6:16 am

      5 stars
      Oh this looks so delicious! I was just watching Top Chef and someone made a warm Farro salad and I thought I have to try that (I've never had farro before). Wonderful post!

      Reply
    17. Simply Suzannes at Home

      July 07, 2015 at 3:24 pm

      Oh, yum!
      I love farro! I had it for the first time last Winter when I found a recipe for Farro Stew. I love its heartiness and nutty flavor!
      Your salad looks and sounds delicious! Just the thought of shaved Parmesan and warm farro makes my mouth water . . . and then add all the other goodies - and it looks like you have a winner!
      I'll need to print this and make it soon!
      Thanks for sharing, sweet Lady!
      Hope you're having a great start to your week,
      Suzanne

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        July 07, 2015 at 5:11 pm

        Please send some of your wonderful sunshine to our state. I think it is gone!! Let me know how you like the salad. I'm making some of your refreshing drinks this week.

        Reply
    18. Thistle

      July 06, 2015 at 1:58 pm

      Not a big fan of the heat here in Kentucky either, but I'd make sure the house was freezing if you'd come make one of those salads! Great job!!!

      Reply
    19. Jovina Coughlin

      July 06, 2015 at 8:19 am

      I am glad you recovered from technology limbo and you are back to posting.I really like cooking with farro and prefer it to other grains. Your recipe looks delicious - definitelyeating well/ living well

      Reply
    20. Ciao Chow Linda

      July 05, 2015 at 8:18 pm

      I'm like you - I can't take the heat either. I'd love this wonderful looking farro salad either hot or cold. I've got lots of kale in my garden and this will be one of the recipes I use it in. Thanks for the idea.

      Reply
      • Marisa Franca

        July 06, 2015 at 6:01 am

        How great that you've got kale in your garden -- I imagine you've got some great tomato plants too. Lots of good recipes for kale -- it's a good thing because it's a hearty plant.

        Reply
    4.88 from 16 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    I’m Marisa Franca, a home chef, food writer, and photographer who believes that you can make gourmet quality food at home with simple seasonal ingredients. I’m passionate about family, food, friends, everything Italian, and happy endings.

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