THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY
Bob’s Red Mill, my longtime go-to for natural & whole grain foods. Bob’s Organic Farro is a PWWB pantry staple that I love using to bulk up any salad or grain bowl! All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Classic Greek Salad with Our Favorite Hearty Grain
Hearty & healthy cold salads are one of our go-to warm-weather meals. They’re easy to toss together, perfect for meal prep, & dance the fine line between “light lunch” & “easy side dish for dinner” beautifully. That’s a win in my book! 🙌🏼
This Greek Farro Salad is one of our all-time favorite hearty cold salads. We first shared this recipe back in 2021 & it’s been a total hit with PWWB readers ever since! It starts with a base of a classic Greek salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese), but we make it a little more substantial by adding hearty chickpeas & farro. It delivers crave-worthy light & bright Mediterranean flavor, but it’s also filled with tons of texture – crunchy cucumbers, creamy feta & chickpeas, &, of course, satisfying farro.
I make this Greek farro salad with Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro, which has been a pantry staple in my kitchen for years. Bob’s is my longtime favorite natural food brand, who I count on for seriously high-quality staples that I can put to use in many different ways. It’s been especially fun to see more & more of their products pop up at my co-op & other grocery stores here in Minneapolis in recent years. I’m thrilled to partner with them to highlight some of my favorite products, starting today with this Mediterranean farro salad!
Greek Farro Salad Recipe Highlights
This easy Greek farro salad recipe is…
A PERFECT HYBRID. Greek farro salad has everything you love about traditional Greek salad with the satisfying, hearty, & plant-powered addition of chickpeas & farro. A totally substantial vegetarian salad with amazing light & bright flavor!
EASY TO MAKE. Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, & roasted red peppers, then whip up a quick Greek vinaigrette while the farro boils. This farro salad recipe comes together in 35 minutes or less, with pantry staples & seasonal faves!
TOTALLY VERSATILE. Serve Mediterranean farro salad warm or cold, as a side dish or plant-powered main, or meal prep for the best weekday lunches ever. With so many ways to love it, it’s the perfect any-occasion dish!
Our warm weather fave! ♡ Read on to learn more about this Greek Farro Salad, or jump straight to the recipe & get cookin’!
Key Ingredients
Like many Mediterranean-inspired recipes, this Greek farro salad is made with simple, fresh ingredients that pack a punch of light, bright flavor. It’s a total flavor bomb & texture lover’s dream!
Note: Full ingredients list & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.
You need…
- Farro – Of course – it wouldn’t be a Greek farro salad without it! Farro is one of our favorite whole grains. If it’s new to you, you’re in for such a treat – learn more about farro in the Ingredient Spotlight below!
- Lots of veggies! – A combination of juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy & cooling cucumber, roasted red pepper, & quickly pickled red onions keeps this dish true to its Greek salad roots. You can also make this farro salad recipe with whatever is in your refrigerator already, though, so feel free to use what you have & call it good.
- Feta – Another nod to classic Greek salad! Good quality feta is a must here. We prefer buying feta that’s packaged in brine & then simply dice it into bite-sized pieces. Feta in brine is richer in flavor & its texture is so much creamier than the pre-crumbled stuff.
- Chickpeas – My favorite easy plant-powered protein. Good ol’ canned chickpeas work perfectly here!
- Greens – We love adding a handful of peppery arugula to this Greek farro salad but feel free to use any other greens you have on hand, like romaine lettuce, spinach, or spring greens.
- Greek vinaigrette – Made with a simple but flavorful blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon, & oregano. This dressing adds that final touch of light & bright flare to the Mediterranean farro salad! Learn more! ⇢ Easy Greek Dressing recipe.
What is Farro?
This hearty, chewy grain is the star ingredient in this Greek farro salad recipe! Farro is an ancient whole grain that just so happens to be a relative of modern-day wheat, though it has a similar texture, appearance, and flavor to barley. It’s a great natural source of plant-based protein & fiber!
More farro FAQs:
- Farro origins? ⇢ Farro is an ancient grain that’s been around for centuries. It was a staple ingredient in ancient Roman times & continues to be popular in Italy & other Mediterranean cuisines to this day.
- What does farro taste like? ⇢ We love farro for its rich & nutty flavor, plus it has the best hearty & chewy texture. The taste of farro may remind you of other whole grains like oats & barley.
- What is the best way to eat farro? ⇢ We love using farro to bulk up salads & grain bowls with a little bit of texture. It adds the BEST hearty, chewy bite to this Greek farro salad recipe. Plus it’s a great source of plant-based protein, especially for vegetarian dishes.
- Which farro is best? ⇢ You can find many varieties of farro out there but our favorite is always Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro. It’s super high quality & so easy to prepare (it boils just like pasta!). More on that coming up.
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Buy Now → How to Cook Farro Perfectly Every Single Time
While many grains can be a little temperamental to cook, farro errs on the simpler end of the spectrum. Some recipes may direct you to prepare farro like rice (i.e. gently simmering in a certain ratio of water until absorbed), but we always boil farro (much like the way you’d boil pasta). It couldn’t be simpler & yields perfect results every time.
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
How to Boil Farro
Rinse the farro well. Place uncooked farro in a fine mesh sieve & rinse with warm water for a good 30 seconds. Why? ⇢ Raw farro has a powdery coating, which we find makes the cooking liquid pretty starchy & gives the cooked farro a gluey texture. A quick rinse washes the coating away altogether.
Boil the farro in salty water. Season a large pot of water with a few tablespoons of kosher salt & bring it to a roaring boil. Add the rinsed farro to the pot & cook until tender with a lovely chewy al dente bite. Pearled farro cooks up in about 30 minutes. Quick tip! ⇢ Because of farro’s lengthy cook time, you’ll need to use quite a bit of water so it doesn’t boil off before the farro finishes cooking. I typically cook 1 cup of pearled farro in a 4-quart Dutch oven.
Drain. Once the farro is cooked, simply drain off the starchy cooking liquid through the same fine mesh sieve you used to rinse the farro. Now it’s ready to use in your Greek farro salad – easy!
Other Farro Tips & Tricks
Season while it’s warm. My #1 farro tip is to season your farro while it’s still warm. Warm farro soaks up whatever dressing or seasoning you’re using, making for an even more flavorful final dish. Toss it in the Mediterranean farro salad vinaigrette right away!
Farro triples in volume as it cooks! For example, 1 cup of dry farro yields 3 cups of cooked farro. Keep this in mind as you decide how much farro to use. This Greek farro salad calls for ¾ cup of dry farro.
Make-ahead & storage. Cooked farro will keep for up to 1 week, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze cooked farro in a freezer container for up to 1 month, which is ideal for batch cooking & meal prepping.
Greek Farro Salad Assembly & Serving Suggestions
One of the best things about farro salads is that cooking farro is nearly entirely inactive. That means you can easily chop your veggies & whip up a simple Greek dressing all while the farro boils on the stove. Then once the farro is cooked, all you have to do is toss it all together in a big bowl. Pretty easy!
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Assembly
Once all the Greek farro salad components are ready, it’s time to assemble. Toss the warm farro with the Greek vinaigrette, then add it to a large bowl with the chopped veggies, diced feta, rinsed chickpeas, & greens. For a little more freshness, feel free to add in a handful of fresh herbs like fresh parsley, basil, or mint!
Step-by-Step Video
Serving Suggestions
We love enjoying this hearty Mediterranean farro salad on its own for a light & fresh vegetarian meal. The combination of hearty farro & chickpeas makes it super satisfying!
That being said, it also doubles as a great side dish for warm weather dinners. Serve your Greek farro salad with other favorites like…
- Grilled Greek chicken, which has the best flavor thanks to a lemony yogurt marinade. For a shortcut, try this Grilled Lemon Chicken. It doesn’t require as long of a marinate, but still packs a big punch of light & herbaceous flavor.
- Turkey or chicken burgers. Greek farro salad is also fantastic with these Mediterranean-inspired Falafel Burgers.
- Greek-Inspired Lemon Chicken Wings, served with the best whipped feta!
- Grilled leg of lamb or grilled steak for a full-on feast.
- Plus a side of grilled veggies!
Easy Farro Salad Recipe Variations
Recipe Variations
This Greek farro salad is naturally vegetarian, but with a couple of quick tweaks it’s easily suited for other diets as well…
Mediterranean Farro Salad Make-Ahead & Meal Prep Tips
A quick 15-minute meal prep makes this Greek farro salad recipe come together even faster. A few days ahead of time, you can prep any or all of the components. At dinnertime, all you have to do is toss them all together & serve (aka, the best part):
- Chop the veggies. This is most of the active prep work in this farro salad recipe! Dice the red onion, cucumber, & roasted red peppers & halve the cherry tomatoes & you’ll take most of the leg work out of this dish.
- Make the Greek vinaigrette by whisking together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, finely diced garlic, & dried oregano. You can also add all the ingredients to a mason jar & shake to combine, then simply store the jar in the fridge until assembly.
- Cook the farro & simply let it cool before storing. If you’ve already made the Greek dressing then toss it on the farro while it’s warm & store the grains for later. They’ll soak up all the bright & garlicky flavor!
This Greek farro salad is also a fantastic meal to make ahead & enjoy throughout the week. We love to toss it together at the beginning of the week & keep it on hand as an easy meal or side dish. It is best served within 3 days of assembly, though it’ll keep for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
I can’t wait for you to try this Greek Farro Salad recipe! I’m pretty sure that once you do, you’ll understand why it’s our fave – its light & bright flavors & hearty, crunchy textures are simply unbeatable!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! Happy cooking! ♡
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Favorite Greek Farro Salad
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes (mostly inactive)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: serves 8–10 1x
- Category: Entree Salads & Bowls, Side Dish Recipes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This wholesome & feel-good Greek Farro Salad is one of my favorite recipes we’ve ever shared here on PWWB. It kicks cravable classic Greek salad up a few satisfying notches with hearty add-ins like chickpeas & farro. The result is the perfect vegetarian salad filled with light & bright flavor & satisfying textures. It’s absolutely delicious!
If farro is a new-to-you ingredient, you’re in for such a treat. Farro is an ancient whole grain – a distant relative to modern-day wheat – with a nice rich & nutty flavor. What makes farro really special, though, is its bouncy texture – it is pleasantly chewy & so hearty. I love tossing it into salads to easily bulk them up & make them more satisfying.
Once the farro is cooked, simply toss it with classic Greek salad veggies, chickpeas, & fresh greens, then drench it all in a tangy Greek-inspired vinaigrette. Be sure to check the Recipe Notes, below, for meal prep tips & the blog post, above, for serving suggestions & quick variations! ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro, rinsed well
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 3 mini cucumbers, diced (about 1 ½ cups diced)
- 6 ounces roasted red pepper, drained, rinsed, patted dry & diced
- 6 ounces feta, patted dry & cubed or crumbled
- one 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
for the simple Greek vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon juice)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ground black pepper & crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the farro: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the farro and boil 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until your desired al dente texture is reached. Drain & immediately rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain well.
- Veggie prep: Meanwhile, as the farro cooks, prep the remaining ingredients starting with the onion. Place the finely diced red onion in a small bowl & squeeze the lemon juice over top. Stir to combine & set aside to sit as you prepare the remaining ingredients. Slice the tomatoes, dice the cucumbers, & roasted red bell pepper, etc. Once all of your ingredients are prepped, drain the lemon juice from the onions & discard.
- Make the simple Greek vinaigrette: Combine all listed ingredients in a small bowl or jar. For a little kick of heat, sprinkle in a little crushed red pepper flake. Whisk or shake to combine. Taste and season with additional kosher salt or ground black pepper as desired. Set aside, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Assemble the farro salad: To a large bowl, add the farro, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red pepper, feta, chickpeas, & arugula. Pour the simple Greek vinaigrette over top. Toss to combine. Taste & adjust seasonings as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make-ahead & storage: This Greek Farro Salad is best when served within 3 days of assembly, though it’ll keep for up to 5 days. Store the assembled farro salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: If you’d like to do just a little prep in advance to help cut down on the active prep time when you make your Greek Farro Salad, go ahead & chop the veggies &/or make the simple Greek dressing:
- Prep the simple Greek vinaigrette according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (5 minutes active prep)
- Finely dice ½ medium red onion, halve or quarter cherry tomatoes, & dice 3 mini cucumbers & 6 ounces roasted red pepper. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (10 minutes active prep)
Recipe & Food Styling by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Rachel Cook, Half Acre House.
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
After making it once as directed, I used 1/2 cup farro, much less feta, less salt, and more oregano. I stored the mixed salad separate from the arugula, and mixed a serving with arugula when I was going to eat it. I also used Goya low sodium chickpeas and garnished with a few kalamata olives. It is a delicious salad!
Hi Sue, so glad to hear you loved this salad as much as we do! Thank you for your review!
This was really good. I used baby spinach instead of the Arugula. This one is a keeper!
Thanks so much, Deb! Baby spinach is a great swap – we are so glad you enjoyed!! 🙂
This is delicious! I bought a 5 oz. package of baby arugula, but only added about 1/2 of it as it seemed way too much!
So glad to hear you loved the salad, and were able to adjust ingredients to suit your preferences! 🙂
This recipe was delicious! I usually use romaine for Greek salads, but I loved the arugula. The pepperiness like you said complemented all the other toppings!
Hi Siena, we love arugula in this salad, and we’re glad to hear it worked great for you, too! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
This was a huge hit! I has to order the farro from online but I’m glad I did – it’s delicious and I’ll be looking for more recipes that include it.
I added sun dried tomatoes and diced those and the roast pepper into the dressing so it almost emulsified.
My husband and I agreed this was the best Greek salad we’ve had and it’s going into our rotation so thank you!
Hi Morgan! So glad you enjoyed – we love how versatile farro is there’s definitely lots more you can add it to! 🙂 You could try one of our other salads featuring farro here or here. Or swap the quinoa or brown rice in this grain bowl or this buffalo chicken bowl.
Would romaine lettuce work well with this recipe in place of arugula?
We love arugula because it provides a naturally peppery flavor but feel free to sub with whatever greens you have on hand!
Great go to marinated salad!
Thank you, Sharon! So glad to hear you loved it as much as we do!
Idk what farro is, I’m assuming we can use pasta rice or quinoa instead of it
Hi Kathy! Farro is an ancient whole grain, it was a staple ingredient in ancient Roman times & is still popular in Italy & other Mediterranean cuisines! It adds an awesome chewy texture that’s super satisfying in any salad but this recipe is very versatile & you can definitely swap for quinoa if that’s what you have on hand (buckwheat is a great option too!). Hope you give it a try!
I just made this tonight and my family really enjoyed it. I’d like to make it for my in-laws but my mom has celiac disease. Do you think it would taste okay with brown rice in place of the farro?
Hi Noemi! We’ve never tried it but brown rice may work as an alternative just be sure to give the rice a good rinse with water prior to cooking to help prevent sticky rice so it mixes well with the other components in the salad. Another great gluten free alternative, if you have it on hand, would be either quinoa (super filling!) or buckwheat as it will provide a really good chewy texture similar to the farro but is naturally GF!
I had a huge bunch of fresh dill, I added that too and it was delicious. I generally meal prep some sort of grain salad at the beginning of the week for my lunches. This was great .
I love arugula, I added it per serving, a lot of it 😊. Kept a little container of dressing in the fridge to drizzle on each day as a refresher.
Very good.
Hi Daisy! Thanks so much for sharing, we are SO glad you enjoyed – it’s the perfect meal prep lunch!
This was so delicious! Will be a staple- thank you!
So glad you enjoyed, Michelle! Thanks so much leaving a comment!
This looks delish! Can’t wait to try it out to change up the salad routine.
Thank you Angela! Hope you give it a try soon!
This was so good! I added craisins and used violife vegan feta. Absolutely amazing!
Hi Brittny! So glad to hear that you enjoyed, thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Jess, I wanted to let you know that this was scrumptious. I made a few adjustments, not intentionally, but here they are: I didn’t have farro so I substituted one/half cup of wheat berries which were wonderful and chewy – they added a nice depth; my cucumber went bad, so I didn’t include that, and lastly I substituted fresh mozzarella as feta has always been too tangy for me. I will say that I used a mortar and pestle to grind 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and the dressing was so scrumptious. The flavor had a warm heat to it was divine. My husband was gushing. I did have to add an extra 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt, but that’s personal preference. I tossed everything together and let it marinade for a half hour in the fridge under some seran wrap. I added the greens at the last though so they wouldn’t wilt under the moisture. I will make this again soon and plan to try halloumi cheese which is a greek cheese that’s milder than feta – I’ll see what that flavor profile is like. Anyways, thank you for the fabulous recipe. It’s a keeper.
Hi Naomi! Thanks so much for dropping this comment – we are so glad you loved it! All of your swaps using what you had on hand sound delicious! I bet halloumi would work wonderfully, thanks again!!
I have never tried farro. I’ll have to give this a try. Loving all the veggies.
Thanks Angela! We LOVE farro! It’s such a versatile grain & adds the best chewy texture to this salad!! You’ll definitely have to give it a try & let us know what you think! 🙂
This salad is addicting. I’ve been enjoying it cold for lunch and warm as a dinner side. So good!
So happy to hear that you enjoy it, Sandy! It is so versatile & really meal-prep friendly!!
This was great. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed Christine, we love hearing how things went!
The serving size (serves 8-10),is that as a side dish or a main?
Hi Sara – The salad will generously feed 8-10 as a side dish or 4-6 as a main. Hope you try soon! Jess
This salad is delicious. It’s a lot! Use your biggest bowl to mix (the biggest). It doesn’t look like enough dressing (it is). I will definitely make the salad and yummy dressing again. Thanks!!
Glad to hear that you loved the salad, Nancy! It definitely makes a generous batch but we love that it is a great meal prep/make-ahead recipe that can be enjoyed throughout the week!
This salad was so delicious! I made it for a 4th of July party and it was a hit! So easy and fresh – I can’t wait to make this for lunches again!
I’m very partial to farro salads. Loved the combination of textures, especially the arugula. This salad keeps beautifully and packs great for picnics. Definitely worth making.
Awesome, Rachel! I’m so glad you enjoyed, especially as a farro salad-lover. Thanks for the comment!!! xx
So fresh, very easy to make, and hearty enough to hold up as a meal on its own. Loved it!
Hi Christine! Thanks so much for sharing! Farro definitely adds a chewy bite that makes this salad hearty & filling – we are so glad you enjoyed!
I LOVE this salad. It is a near-weekly staple for my work-day lunches because it is so quick and easy to prep on Sunday night, it’s fresh and healthy (and easily adapts to be vegan – I just swap feta for capers!), and, most importantly, it is so delish! I absolutely love the dressing recipe. I can also so easily swap the other ingredients with what I have on hand. I often add in kale if I have it, AND I usually add an avocado, which makes this a super satisfying and filling lunch. Highly recommend giving this recipe a try for a great summer salad!
Hi Suzie! Thank you for taking the time to share – it really is such a good meal prep salad & a great way to use up whatever you have on hand! We love that it’s become a summer go-to for you!
super simple and eat straight out of the bowl then hide it from everyone else in the back of the fridge good.
I made this for dinner on Friday and it was SO good. Chopped up double of all the bits and bobs so I can make it again for lunches this week!
Hi Erin! Thank you for your comment! We are so glad you enjoyed & were able to make extras – this salad is SO good for meal-prepping! 🙂