Description
This Hearty Italian Farro Salad has the meats, cheeses, olives, and veggies traditionally found in an antipasti spread, but it’s all tossed together with fiber-rich farro to make hearty and wholesome grain salad.
If farro is a new-to-you ingredient, you’re in for a treat! It’s an ancient whole grain with hearty texture and nutty flavor that might remind you of barley. Just cook it on the stovetop, season it with a zingy Italian vinaigrette, and it’s ready for the salad.
As far as add-ins go, I’ve written this recipe with my favorite combination, but I encourage you to shop your grocery store’s olive bar and choose whatever meats, cheeses, and olives look best. Have fun with it and make it your own! ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro
- tangy Italian vinaigrette (below)
- 4 ounces soppressata, finely diced
- 4 ounces asiago cheese, finely diced
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- one 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 6 ounces sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers, drained and roughly chopped
- 6 ounces pitted Castelvetrano olives, drained and roughly chopped
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
for the tangy Italian vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey (or pure maple syrup or agave)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Cook the farro: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the farro. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the farro is tender with a nice chewy texture, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the farro through a fine mesh sieve. Learn more! ⇢ How to Cook Farro Perfectly.
- Mix the tangy Italian vinaigrette: Meanwhile, as the farro cooks, prep the vinaigrette. Add all listed ingredients to a small bowl or jar. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Whisk or shake to combine well. 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.
- Season the cooked farro: Transfer the warm farro to a large bowl. Pour a few tablespoons of the tangy Italian vinaigrette over top, tossing to combine well. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Assemble the Italian farro salad: To the large bowl with the seasoned farro, add the soppressata, asiago cheese, red onion, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, pepperoncini or banana peppers, olives, and baby arugula. Pour the tangy Italian vinaigrette over top. Toss to combine well. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper as needed. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Serving Suggestions: This hearty Italian farro salad is great on its own, served warm, at room temperature, or cold. Meal prep it for easy grab-and-go lunches, a low-effort summer dinner, or a fun sharable for a potluck, picnic, or backyard BBQ. If you’d like to make a meal out of it, serve your Italian farro salad alongside your favorite cold-cut sandwiches, Grilled Italian Sausage, Grilled Tuscan Steak, Tuscan-Style Grilled Chicken, or my favorite Quick and Easy Grilled Lemon Chicken.
- Easy Recipe Variations: I’ve written this recipe using the add-ins we love most, but the beauty of this salad is its flexibility. Swap soppressata with genoa or calabrese salami for different flavor profiles, or use thinly sliced salami or prosciutto for delicate texture. You can also omit the meat for a vegetarian salad. I like the nutty flavor of Asiago, but provolone and fresh mozzarella also work well. Buttery Castelvetrano olives are my all-time favorite, but kalamata olives or mixed olives from an olive bar work great too. Have fun with it and make it your own!
Storage, Make-Ahead and Meal Prep:
- Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions: 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 Italian farro salad, go ahead and chop the veggies and/or make the Italian vinaigrette:
- Prep the tangy Italian vinaigrette according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (5 minutes active prep)
- Finely dice the soppressata, asiago cheese, ½ medium red onion and 3 mini cucumbers, and halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (10 minutes active prep)