Farro Salad with Fennel, Feta and Crushed Olives
This hearty and vibrant farro salad is packed with creamy feta cheese, radicchio, tangy olives, fresh dill and crunchy fennel. It’s the perfect salad to make in a big batch and have for lunch all week long. It’s also an impressive side dish to bring to a BBQ or potluck!
If you’re not familiar with farro you should be! It’s a super versatile nutrient-packed ancient grain that can be used to make salads, risottos, soups, and stews. This salad can be served as a side dish to grilled meats or fish or all on its own. Top it with grilled chicken for a complete meal that’s perfect to pack for a meal prepped lunch.
One of my favorite lunch meal prep hacks is to have 3-4 hearty salads in my fridge to mix and match. This Farro Salad is alway on the list in a addition some of my other favorites like: Greek Orzo Salad, Sonoma Chicken Salad and Miso Ginger Chicken Salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make Farro Salad with Fennel, Feta and Olives: Cooked farro, radicchio, fennel, olives, dill, shallot, lemon, feta cheese, dijon mustard and olive oil.
Recipe Step by Step:
Step. 1 Make the Vinaigrette
In the bottom of a large bowl whisk together the dijon mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice. Next, whisk in the olive oil then season with salt and pepper
Step. 3 Toss Everything Together
Into the same bowl with the vinaigrette add the rest of the salad ingredients. Toss everything together until evenly coated. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and or olive oil/lemon juice. Divide between bowls and serve!
Tips for Cooking Farro
- I prefer to cook farro the same way I cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the farro to the pot of boiling water then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the grains are tender but still chewy.
- Drain the farro through a colander. Rinse with cool water and you’re good to go!
FAQs
Farro salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep in mind, grains like farro absorb liquid as they sit (in this case the dressing) which can make the salad a bit dry after a day or two in the fridge. Before re-serving refresh the salad with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.
Farro is one of my favorite whole grains! It’s a wheat grain thats been around since the Roman Empire. Farro is chewy and has a nutty flavor that’s great for mixing in salads, soups and stews. It’s not gluten-free but it is packed with fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
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Farro Salad with Fennel, Feta and Crushed Olives
Ingredients
- 3 c cooked farro - room temperature or chilled
- 1 large bulb fennel - talks and tough outer layer removed, thinly sliced
- 2 large shallots - peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 head radicchio - roughly chopped
- 1 c Castelvetrano or kalamata olives - roughly chopped
- 4 oz feta cheese - crumbled
- 1/2 c fresh dill - roughly chopped
Dressing:
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 c lemon juice + zest from one lemon
- 1/2 c olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dijon mustard, lemon juice and zest. While whisking slowly stream in the olive oil. Whisk continuously until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the bowl with the dressing. Toss everything together until all ingredients are evenly combined and coated with dressing. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
- Farro salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep in mind, grains like farro absorb liquid as they sit (in this case the dressing) which can make the salad a bit dry after a day or two in the fridge. Before re-serving refresh the salad with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.
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- I prefer to cook farro the same way I cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the farro to the pot of boiling water then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the grains are tender but still chewy.
- Drain the farro through a colander. Rinse with cool water and you’re good to go!
