Italian Farro Salad
Farro is an ancient whole-grain wheat and is terrific in salads or served as a side in place of rice. It has a nutty flavor and chewy texture which makes it a perfect foundation for tomatoes (roasted or sun-dried), fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar. This salad was always a big hit on our Foodie trips to Tuscany.
Most of the farro we get in the US is “pearled” which means that the bran has been removed. Without the bran, the grain cooks a lot quicker. This recipe, with the 25 minute cook time, is for the pearled farro. This salad is great eaten right away, but it is maybe even better the next day or two, once the flavors have developed. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil and a balsamic glaze (reduced balsamic) if you can find it, for more concentrated flavor.
Watch the video below for step by step instructions on making my Italian Farro Salad.
Italian Farro Salad
Course: SaladsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy8
servings30
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 quart cherry tomatoes
drizzle of olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper
3 cups Farro (wheat berries, barley, or spelt may be substituted)
1 medium-sized red onion
2 vine-ripe tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 balls of fresh buffalo mozzarella, diced finely
3 Tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
3 Tablespoons finely chopped basil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
- Lay the cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the preheated oven to roast for 10 minutes.
- Rinse the farro in cold water and drain. Place the farro in a medium-sized pot and cover with 6 cups of cold water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the boil is reached, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the farro for 25 minutes. Pour the farro into a strainer and discard water. Allow the farro to drain in the strainer for 5 minutes.
- Peel the red onions, core the tomatoes and cut the bell pepper in half, removing the stem, seeds and ribs. Finely dice the red onions, tomatoes and bell pepper.
- Place the farro in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients (except for the cherry tomatoes) and mix well. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Arrange the farro salad in a serving bowl and surround with the roasted cherry tomatoes.
