This Farro Salad features crisp apple, sweet cranberries, crunchy almonds, peppery arugula, tangy feta cheese and a zippy lemon dressing. Enjoy it as a main course or side dish!

Farro salad with arugula, apple and feta in a serving bowl.

I love adding grains to salads, since they help to bulk up a salad to make it a more filling meal. Some of my favorites include this Southwest Quinoa Salad, Barley Salad and this delightful farro salad.

Farro’s delicious nutty flavor and satisfying chewy texture makes it an ideal component for a filling, grain-based salad. Since I recently shared all of my best tips for how to cook farro, I thought it only fitting that I share my favorite farro salad recipe, too.

Farro salad in serving bowl and two smaller bowls.

The Best Farro Salad

  • This farro salad is easy to make, including the simple homemade dressing.
  • The layers of texture and flavor in this salad can’t be beat. There’s crunchy celery, chewy farro, crisp apple, sweet cranberries, salty almonds, tangy feta and more.
  • This scrumptious salad is hearty enough to be a main course for lunch or dinner. It also makes a beautiful side dish!

Farro Salad Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for farro salad recipe.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy salad recipe, including substitution options.

  • Farro: I like to use pearled farro in this salad because it cooks quickly. If you have semi-pearled or whole farro on hand, see how to cook farro for cooking instructions. The ingredients list on a package of farro will typically say what type it is. 
  • Celery: For crunch.
  • Apple: I like to use a sweet-tart apple, such as Honeycrisp. 
  • Baby Arugula: Adds a delicious peppery bite and fresh greens to the salad. Spinach or baby kale are good substitutes. Also try this Arugula Salad.
  • Dried Cranberries: For a bit of sweetness. You could also use raisins.
  • Feta Cheese: Adds lots of flavor. Goat cheese is a good alternative.
  • Almonds: I used roasted and lightly salted almonds, which add a nice salty crunch.

Farro Salad Dressing

  • Olive Oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil because the flavor of the oil impacts the flavor of the dressing.
  • Lemon Juice: Adds a delicious tanginess. You can substitute apple cider vinegar if you don’t have lemon juice on hand.
  • Honey: To sweeten it up. 
  • Dijon Mustard: Adds a bit of flavor and helps to emulsify the dressing.
  • Salt & Pepper: Adjust the amounts to your tastes.

Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

How to Make Farro Salad

  1. Cook the farro: Rinse the farro under cold running water. Simmer the farro in a pot of salted water for 15-20 minutes, until it’s tender yet chewy. Drain the farro and then spread it out in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Cooked farro on wooden spoon held over pot.
  2. Make the dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to mix. Whisking dressing in large bowl.
  3. Assemble the salad: To the bowl with the dressing, add the chopped celery, apple and cooled farro. Stir to combine. Stir in the arugula, dried cranberries, feta cheese and chopped almonds. Serve and enjoy! Two side by side photos showing ingredients added to salad bowl.

Make Ahead

If you’d like to prep this salad for a quick lunch, these meal prep tips can help:

  • You can cook the farro ahead of time to make prepping the salads even faster. Cooked farro can be stored for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Spread it out on a baking sheet to cool for 15-20 minutes before storing.
  • The dressing can also be mixed up ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the dressing come to room temperature and then whisk it to recombine the ingredients.
  • Once dressed, the salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The arugula and almonds will soften up over time once they’re tossed with the dressing, and the apple may brown a bit, so if you want to keep things freshest you may want to add these ingredients right before serving.

Serving Suggestions

We usually make a meal out of this salad, with some sliced crusty bread on the side.

This is a lovely salad to bring to share at a cookout or potluck. It’s delicious served alongside Grilled Chicken Thighs or Grilled Pork Chops. It would also be a perfect side dish for Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Crockpot Chicken Breast.

Farro salad in serving bowl.

More Favorite Salad Recipes

If you love this farro salad, you might also enjoy these flavorful salad recipes:

Farro salad with apple, arugula and feta in serving bowl.
5 from 3 ratings

Farro Salad

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Author: Kristine Roseblatt
This Farro Salad has a delightful combination of flavors and textures. Chewy farro, crisp apple, sweet cranberries, crunchy almonds, tangy feta and more make this salad a favorite. Enjoy it as a main course or side dish.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup pearled farro
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt or fine sea salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 3 cups (loosely packed) baby arugula
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries
  • ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ⅓ cup coarsely chopped whole roasted almonds

Instructions
 

  • Place the farro in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold running water. Set aside.
  • Pour 5 cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add ½ teaspoon salt to the water and stir in the rinsed farro.
  • Reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, until farro is tender yet chewy.
  • Use a colander or strainer to drain the farro well and then spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet to cool for 15-20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the salad dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, ⅛ teaspoon salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
  • Add the chopped celery and apple to the bowl. Once the farro has cooled, add it to the bowl as well. Stir to mix with the dressing.
  • Then stir in the arugula. Finally, gently stir in the dried cranberries, feta cheese and chopped almonds. Serve.

Notes

  • Leftovers of this salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The arugula and almonds will soften up over time once they're tossed with the dressing, and the apple may brown a bit, so if you want to keep things freshest you may want to add these ingredients right before serving.
Calories: 474kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 546mg, Potassium: 416mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 536IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 146mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Author: Kristine Roseblatt
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