This ultra-flavorful Strawberry Farro Salad features fresh basil, tangy goat cheese, crunchy pecans and a citrusy homemade dressing. It’s a super quick easy side salad that packs a nutritious punch – perfect for those summer bbq’s.
Want more refreshing summer sides? Check out my Strawberry Spinach Salad, Meditteranean Orzo Salad or my 10 Minute Creamy Cucumber Salad.
Light & Healthy Farro Salad with Fruit
Struggling to find a salad that you actually enjoy eating? It looks like your troubles are about to come to an end. This light, fresh and vibrant strawberry farro salad is on another level of satisfying!
From the creamy goat cheese to the sweet pops of strawberry, there’s so much to savor in every bite. All of the flavors and textures come together in perfect harmony. Once you toss in that tangy orange dressing, your salad will start to disappear by the heaping spoonful.
This dish is so incredibly drool-worthy, it’s almost hard to believe it’s actually a salad. But it is – and it has the nutritional value to back it up. It’s a wonderful source of protein, fiber, potassium, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and more. Who knew eating healthy could feel like such a treat!
What is Farro?
Farro is a type of whole-grain wheat that looks and tastes similar to brown rice, only it’s lighter, chewier and nuttier. It dates back to Ancient Mesopotamia, and it’s considered a staple ingredient in modern Mediterranean cuisine.
Farro is extremely nutritious, so finding it in a salad like this one is no surprise. You may not have known what farro was yesterday, but as soon as you try this salad, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe keeps things nice and simple. Check out the recipe card toward the bottom of this post to see the specific amounts for each ingredient.
For the Strawberry Farro Salad
- Farro
- Water: To cook the farro.
- Strawberries: Rinsed, dried, hulled and sliced.
- Crumbled Goat Cheese
- Chopped Pecans: Whether you toast them or leave them raw is entirely up to you.
- Fresh Chopped Basil
For the Citrus Dressing
- Orange Zest: Only scrape off the brightly-colored zest – stop once you get to that white layer underneath (known as the pith).
- Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed is best.
- Honey: Or agave nectar.
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil
How to Make Strawberry Farro Salad
The only reason this dish takes more than 10 minutes to make is because you have to cook the farro and let it cool before you assemble the salad. The process truly could not be any easier!
- Combine Water & Farro: Add the water and farro to a medium-sized saucepan.
- Let Simmer: Bring the water to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the farro for 30 minutes.
- Fluff & Let Cool: Fluff up the farro with a fork, then transfer it to a bowl and allow it to cool completely.
- Make Dressing: Whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies.
- Assemble Salad: Add the farro, strawberries, basil, pecans and goat cheese to a medium-sized bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, then use a spoon to toss it until the farro is coated with the dressing and everything is combined.
Can I Make It in Advance?
Feel free to cook the farro and prepare the dressing ahead of time if you’d like. Store the farro in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Refrigerate the dressing in a sealed jar or container for 5-7 days, shaking or mixing it well before you use it. You can also prepare each salad ingredient a day in advance and refrigerate everything in separate airtight containers.
Tips for Success
I have a few tips and tricks that’ll help make sure your farro salad is up to snuff. Here they are!
- Keep it Fresh: Don’t try to make this salad with frozen strawberries or dried basil – it just won’t be the same. The fresher your ingredients are, the better it will taste.
- Let the Farro Cool Completely: It’s important to let the farro fully cool before you assemble your salad. If it’s still warm, it could affect the consistency of the dressing and melt the goat cheese.
- Serve Immediately: This dish is best when it’s served right away. If you’re not serving it immediately, transfer it to the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it.
Variation Ideas
It’s so easy to customize this salad! You can load it up with anything you’re craving or make use of whatever you’ve got in the fridge.
- Add Greens – fresh arugula would be great.
- Swap the Strawberries for Another Fruit
- Use Different Nuts – walnuts or slivered almonds would be perfect as well
- Sub the Goat Cheese for Feta
- Add More Herbs – such as parsley or fresh thyme
- Swap the Farro for Rice or Quinoa (You’ll need to adjust the cooking times for these grains)
- Use Another Salad Dressing – like my balsamic vinaigrette
Serving Suggestions
This simple salad is great as a snack or light lunch, and it also makes a lovely side dish for your favorite entrees. I like to pair it with a hearty protein like Grilled Chicken Thighs or Pan-Seared Salmon. If you need a meatless option, I highly recommend whipping up these Grilled Portobello Burgers – they feature a creamy avocado chimichurri that you’ll want to recreate as a dip!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover strawberry farro salad should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If possible, keep the dressing and the salad in separate airtight containers. Enjoy your leftovers within 1-2 days. If you stored the dressing separately, it will last for up to a week.
Print
Strawberry Farro Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
This ultra-flavorful Strawberry Farro Salad features fresh basil, tangy goat cheese, crunchy pecans and a citrusy homemade dressing. It’s a super quick and easy side salad that packs a nutritious punch!
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Farro Salad
- 1 cup of farro
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 13 strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 oz. of goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup of basil, chopped
For the Citrus Dressing
- 1 T. orange zest
- 1/4 cup of orange juice
- 1 T. of honey or agave nectar
- 1/2 tsp. of salt
- 1/4 tsp. of pepper
- 3 T. of olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan add water and dry farro to pot.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Fluff the farro with a fork, transfer to a bowl, and allow farro to cool.
- To a small bowl whisk together orange zest, orange juice, honey or agave, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
- To a medium bowl, add farro, strawberries, basil, pecans, goat cheese and pour the dressing over top. Using a spoon, toss together until the farro is coated with the dressing and everything is combined.
Notes
- Makes 4-6 servings
- Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis – Food Network.
- To Make Ahead: Refrigerate cooled farro in an airtight container for up to a week. Refrigerate dressing in a sealed jar for 5-7 days, shaking or mixing it well before using. Prepare each salad ingredient a day in advance and refrigerate everything in separate airtight containers. Assemble salad when ready to enjoy.
- To Store Extras: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container, storing the dressing separately if possible. Enjoy leftovers within 1-2 days. If dressing is separate, it will last for up to a week.
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