This simple farro salad uses your prepped grains, protein, and veg to make a meal worthy salad. Everything gets tossed in a rich tomato dressing from the combination of tomato paste, balsamic, and dijon mustard. Fennel slaw gets mixed in for a nice crunchy tangy contrast to the chewy farro and roasted veggies.
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. Bob’s Red Mill makes the best farro – “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 6 People
Prep Time 5 minutes Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked farro
- 1 cup cooked green lentils
- 2 cups thinly sliced or chopped loosely packed kale or radicchio
- 2 cups roasted veggies
- ½ cup Fennel Slaw
- ½ cup grated parmesan optional
- ½ cup toasted almonds or walnuts optional
- Black pepper
For the dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powde
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Note: you can play with the ratios here. If you want more greens or fennel in there, go for it! Just reduce the amount of something else (roasted veggies, farro, lentils, etc…).
Instructions
- In a jar with a lid, add the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, tomato paste, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to combine.
- In a large bowl, add the farro, lentils, kale or radicchio, veggies, and fennel. Pour the dressing over top and toss to coat.
- Serve topped with parmesan (if using), nuts (if using), and black pepper.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Grains, lentils, veg, greens, slaw, and dressing should all be prepped so you can just throw it together!
- Grate 1/2 cup parmesan (if using
Substitutions:
- To make gluten-free, substitute cooked short grain brown rice for the farro.
- Substitute the lentils with 1 (15 oz) can white beans or chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 2 cups shredded chicken, or serve with grilled sausage.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Grain salads always taste best at room temperature, so I like to microwave them straight out of the fridge for 10-15 seconds just to take the chill off. But it is still delicious right out of the fridge!
- I like to hit these types of leftover grain salads with a little acid to wake it up. A splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon can do the trick. Top with herbs if you have them and lots of parm and nuts!
- This pairs really well with grilled sausage.
- Top with fried egg!
