This hearty summer salad has everything you love about a classic BLT – juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and smoky bacon. The farro, tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs get tossed in a creamy yogurt dressing, then topped with crispy bacon bits and creamy avocado. It’s super refreshing, satisfying, and full of textures and flavor!
Ingredient highlight
Farro! This ancient whole grain has a chewy texture and nutty flavor, making it my favorite grain for grain salads. Since it’s a whole grain, it’s packed with fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, calcium, and protein.
NOTE: Farro cooking times will vary depending on the variety. I’ve recently discovered local Maine Grains Farro, but Bob’s Red Mill farro is the best store-bought – “Our farro is very lightly scratched, as is traditional, to allow for a faster cooking time and to encourage the release of its starches during cooking, but it maintains its wholesome nutrients”.
Servings 4 – 6
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 1 cup farro (about 3 cups cooked)*
- 8-10 oz bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces, for topping**
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 1-2 cups halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
- ½ bunch scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 heaping cup)
- 2 avocados, diced, for topping
For the dressing:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Black pepper
Optional mix-ins or toppings:
- ½ cup cooked corn
- ½-1 cup crumbled feta or grated/cubed cheddar
- Fresh herbs (dill, parsley, basil)
- *Replace farro with 3 cups cooked short pasta to make it a pasta salad.
- **To cook the bacon: bake in a 375F oven for 10-20 minutes, tossing halfway, or until very crispy. Or simply pan-fry until crispy.
- ***You could sub thinly sliced (or blender) kale which keeps a bit better as leftovers. The romaine will be fine, it will just get kind of wilty as leftovers.
Instructions
- Cook the bacon (see note).
- In a medium pot, add the farro and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a rapid simmer for about 25 minutes or until the farro is cooked. Drain and set aside to cool off until just warm or room temp.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
- To the bowl, add the cooked/cooled farro, lettuce, tomatoes, and scallions. Toss to coat.
- Scoop into your bowl and top topped with bacon bits, avocado, and black pepper.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 1 cup farro
- Cook 8-10 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Chop 4 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce
- Halve 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes
- Thinly slice ½ bunch scallions
- Make the salad but leave out the lettuce and toppings
Substitutions:
- To make gluten-free, sub farro with short grain brown rice or cooked GF pasta.
- To make vegetarian, skip the bacon! To make vegan, use a vegan yogurt or swap with a basic vinaigrette.
- Use any chopped greens in place of or in addition to the romaine (kale, salad greens, etc…).
Storage:
- Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Bacon will last in fridge for up to 1 week.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- The salad is best at room temp but is also fin to eat chilled. Toss in fresh lettuce if you have more and an extra splash of vinegar and sprinkle of salt. Top with bacon, avo, and anything else!
- Bump up the protein with chopped boiled egg (or any form of cooked egg) or top with grilled chicken or steak.
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