Greek Farro Salad
This healthy farro salad is full of bold Greek flavors! It features whole grains with arugula, chickpeas, roasted red peppers, cucumber and lemon dressing.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 3, 2024
Sometimes recipe concepts sit on my list for months, waiting to be made. Sometimes a craving strikes and a corresponding recipe materializes out of thin air—such is the case with this Greek farro salad. It features bold Mediterranean flavors (lemon, herbs, chickpeas, roasted red peppers and feta), tossed with lots of fresh, peppery arugula and warm, chewy whole grains. Pass me a fork already!
The best part? This salad keeps well for two to three days in the fridge, which is always welcome, but especially right now. The seasons are changing here in Kansas City and it’s just too nice outside to stay inside and cook. Let’s soak up all the seventy-degree days we can get!
To that end, I’m keeping this post short and sweet. Do let me know how you like this salad—please comment below and post a photo to Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate! I always want to hear/see how my recipes turn out for you.
Greek Farro Salad
This fresh and healthy farro salad is full of bold Greek flavors! You’ll have plenty of time to prepare the ingredients while the farro cooks. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup dried farro, rinsed
- 5 cups lightly packed arugula (if it’s not baby arugula, you might want to give it a few chops to break it into smaller pieces)
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 large cucumber (about ¾ pound), seeded and chopped (to yield about 1 ½ cups chopped cucumber)
- 1 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper, homemade or jarred
- 20 kalamata olives, sliced into thin rounds (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To cook the farro: In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed farro with at least three cups water (enough water to cover the farro by a couple of inches). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender to the bite but still pleasantly chewy (pearled farro will take around 15 minutes; unprocessed farro will take 25 to 40 minutes). Drain off the excess water and return the farro to the pot. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and a little splash of the dressing. Set aside for just a few minutes to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine the arugula, chickpeas, cucumber, peppers, olives and parsley.
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper until emulsified.
- Add the warm farro to the serving bowl and drizzle in the remaining dressing. Toss to combine. Add the feta, toss again, and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Arugula, Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta. You might want to add more olives to make up for the feta’s salty punch. Vegans, use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of the honey.
Make it gluten free: Cook up 1 cup quinoa instead of the wheat berries (here’s how to cook it).
Storage suggestions: This salad will keep well for up to a couple of days in the refrigerator, covered.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I love arugula and farro in salads, but I’ve never combined the two. Eating that combination in this salad outside in the sun sounds like a perfect lunch.
They totally belong together! :)
YUM!!! Definitely going to make this soon to take advantage of all the last minute cukes and peppers I can get my hands on.
I love adding grains to salads to make them a bit heartier. You always come up with such dreamy salad combos!
Thank you, Emily! :)
I cannot wait to make this! I bought some farro recently and I have been looking for something to use it in. Sounds delicious!
Thank you, Dee! I hope it turns out great for you!
Bring on the weekend. Can’t wait to make this one!! Yummo!!!
Hope you loved it, Jane!
Perfection! I’ve got a huge jar of roasted peppers in my cupboard that are about to be put to very good use! I can’t wait to pack this in my lunchbox! Thanks Kate!
Hope it turns out wonderfully, Amy!
Thanks for the timely and absolutely delicious salad! I woke up groggy and wondered, “What should I make for dinner tonight?” As I checked my emails this morning, this recipe popped into my inbox. How lucky! This is such a flavorful and satisfying recipe; love the addition of farro to the Greek salad. As I’ve written before, my teens devoured it as with all of your recipes. Thank you!
Beth, thank you! So glad you all enjoyed this one, too. :)
Beautiful salad! Great list of ingredients and I love kalamata olives in my salads!! Pinning!
Gorgeous photos, gorgeous salad! I love farro and this sounds so delcious. Thanks for sharing and greetings from Hamburg. :)
Thanks, Elle! Waving hello from the center of the United States.
What a great salad! This is exactly the kind of thing I like best for lunch. So hearty and delicious.
Thanks, Eileen!
It’s still SO hot in LA that I’m down for eating this salad for the next three weeks at least!
Your salads are the best Kate! Greek salad has been my lunch go to as of late so I will have to try this combination. Thanks!
lolz oh my gosh look at this!! Was searching “Greek foods” to go with this recipe and this came up :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY4uAHUl7Mk
Haha! A song about hummus… goodness.
As a Greek girl, I just love the simplicity of Greek flavor profiles, I also happen to adore the nutty, chewy taste and texture of farro (my favorite grain), so this salad is very much up my alley. Beautiful. Happy Friday!
So much deliciousness in every bite! Just made this for a party I’m headed to this afternoon. I couldn’t wait and ate some for breakfast.
Thanks, Dani! Hope it was a hit!
This salad looks so delicious. I love farro anything.
This looks and sounds so refreshing & delicious! I love all of your recipes, thank you for making such healthy meals.
My fiancé is a good sport and eats lots of bunny rabbit meals with me so this will be next on our list to make.
Thanks again and have a great day!
Thank you, Allie! I just read your handstand tips, thanks for those! :)
SHUT THE DOOR!!! What a delicious salad Kate.
I made this for my wife to complement our miso maple salmon and it was a perfect marriage.
I read that you are going to publish a cookbook – outstanding! I always thought you should create cook ebooks when you stack your recipes together.
Thank you, Michael! So glad you enjoyed it. Your miso maple salmon sounds awesome!
Made it, loved it. Thank you!
Yay, thanks Sarika!
This was delicious! Great flavors. My first time trying farro and I loved the texture. I bet it will taste even better tomorrow. Yum!
Yay! Thanks, Kerry!
Hello Kate,
What a nice recipe! I’ll taste it as soon as possible! Thanks for sharing!
Just made this while on holidays Italy, which was perfect because I could easily find all ingredients in the grocery store. It was delicious!!
So good!!! I made this into a mason jar, layered to keep fresh for the work week and it was perfect and good energy for the day.
Thanks, Jayna! Love your mason jar technique!
Made this for dinner tonight and we absolutely LOVED it. So flavorful and healthy. I will definitely make this again. I’ve made several of your recipes now and they are always wonderful.
Thank you, Michele! Delighted to hear it!
Loved this sooo much!! Will even add grilled chicken to it to make it a complete meal! Even though it was filling just as is! Will definitely make this again!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Any suggestions on what I can use instead of arugula ? Not a fan of kale either . Thanks !
I just had to come leave a comment: we made this salad tonight and it was so, so good. You continue to amaze me with your salad masterpieces. Thanks for the recipe!
Bought a cucumber yesterday so we could have it for dinner today! Using what is on hand and using all of it! No arugula here so spring mix is great! Diced peppers red, green orange and yellow on hand and all in! Pint of small tomatoes sliced and added. The Greek dressing is fantastic and would be good on anything you have on hand.
One of the best salads of its kind. Tremendous hit with my friends. Definitely worth repeating. Thanks!
I’ve made this twice now. My husband added some chicken for a non-vegetarian meal. And of course, it was complete for me! Super delicious and makes great leftovers for work! I double the recipe! This is a winner and will go in our rotation!
Loved this recipe, definitely a keeper, thank you. Can’t wait for leftover lunch tomorrow.
Hi, I am excited to try this salad! Can you make the Farro ahead of time and just combine everything before serving?
Have friends over tonight and I can’t wait for them to try this.
Thanks
Jill, I’m sorry I didn’t answer sooner. Yes, that would work!
this was SO good and filling, thank you :)
Thank you, Polina!
Can you use lentils in this recipe instead of farro? I have never made farro, but I have a lot of lentils on hand.
I love this recipe. I didn’t include the arugula until we were ready to eat. I also reserved some of the dressing. This way it lasted for days without getting soggy. We don’t do spicy, so I didn’t use the pepper flakes. Next time I might use cilantro instead of parsley. I think this is going to become a staple at our house.
Glad you were able to adjust it to your tastes, Gail!
This was the first time I had faro (gasp!). Holy cow… the whole thing was so delicious. Everyone should most definitely try this recipe.
YES welcome to the world of farro! It’s delicious here.
Delicious! a friend brought this to my house for a main dish lunch and now I bring it to other friends’ homes when i’m asked to bring something to contribute to a dinner party!
Nice! I love that it has been passed among friends. :) That makes me super happy.
Made this for dinner last night – yummy! I added roasted zucchini to up the veggies a bit and decreased the sugar but loved it – had two big bowls for lunch today too. Thanks Kate!
Yum! You’re welcome, Rebecca. :)
I found the recipe last year and made it a couple times, and looked it up again to make and take on a camping trip with friends where it was a hit. Paired well with salmon. This is a go to recipe if you love Mediterranean flavors and healthy food!
Great! I’m glad you enjoyed this so much you looked it up again!
Love, love, love this salad! It was a huge hit at my dinner party, and we had absolutely no leftovers. I am definitely making this again and again for future dinner parties! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
I had a pitch in Christmas party and was thrilled that my (your) salad was the hit if the night.
That’s great! Thanks, Susie for your review.
How can we save your recipes on Pinterest?
This is my current favorite salad. It’s so easy to make and taste absolutely amazing! I was surprised at how well it last in the refrigerator. Just as good the third day as it was the first. Everyone in the family really enjoyed it. Thanks for the great recipe.
I love that you have a current favorite. :) Thank you, Midge for sharing!
Love your recipes. They are simple, healthy and a pleasure to prepare. Thank you for helping to make my weekends pleasurable and tasty. Anita Taylor.
You’re welcome! Thanks for the review, Anita.
Just finished it. Gorgeous and delicious. I made a little extra dressing and I had pomegranate seeds so added those. Otherwise, stuck to the recipe as best I could. A must do again. You hit it on the mark with this one.
Love that! Thank you, Anita. I love a little extra pomegranate. :)
The Greek Farro salad is my favorite! It’s so refreshing and delicious I make it for dinner all summer and bring this to every potluck dinner. It’s always a hit.
That’s fantastic, Micki!
Gah! I love this salad so much! I refrain from the garlic because of an allergy but it’s still amazing. It’s so fresh and filling! Will make over and over again!
I’m glad you love it, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Your recipe led me to buy and try cooking farro for the first time…the results were delicious. The chewy texture of the grain combined with the tangy flavors was a hit with my whole family. You’re doing great work!
Thank you, Heather!
I love the Greek farro salad!
Thanks, Margarita!
The Greek Farro salad was so delicious!Flavorful and healthy are the best<3 Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Dawn!
Hi Cookie and Kate,
this recipe is excellent. Two thumbs up from the family. I added an Organic rotisserie chicken for my family. I enjoyed the recipe as is.
Thanks again for a great recipe and making my life a little easier in the kitchen.
Kim NYC
You’re welcome, Kim! I’m happy you all enjoyed it.