Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Step up your salad game by making this warm farro salad with roasted root vegetables! Simple ingredients like roasted vegetables, lemon and rosemary complement each other perfectly. Make it vegan by simply omitting the goat cheese. Meal prep friendly!

Sometimes I just don’t feel like eating a cold, lettuce based salad when it is still cold and blustery outside. You know? Luckily, grain based salads like this warm farro salad with roasted root vegetables can come to the rescue!

How to Make this Warm Farro Salad

• This salad starts by roasting up some of my favorite root veggies: butternut squash and rainbow carrots but can easily be adapted to whatever roasted vegetables you may have on hand. Some other veggies that would be great for this salad include: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potato.
• To cook the farro, you’ll add 2 cups of water/broth to a saucepan with 1 cup of rinsed farro. Simmer for 15 minutes until tender and drain any excess water. Easy-peasy! Cook up a batch of farro on the weekend and add it to salads all week.
• To incorporate some greens, I also sautéed some bagged spinach with lots of garlic since you can’t have a salad without a little bit of green. 😉
• I love adding some pistachios to this salad for a little bit of crunch. Feel free to use whatever nut you prefer like almonds or walnuts.

What is Farro?

Farro is ancient grain in the wheat family. I picked it up from the bulk bins at Whole Foods the first time about a year ago. I am always looking to experiment with new ingredients in the kitchen! When cooked, farro has a chewy texture and a slightly nutty flavor. It reminds me a lot of barley, but has a bit more bite to it after cooking.

Is Farro Good for You?

Nutrition-wise, farro is similar to other whole grains with 7 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein per 1/2 cup cooked farro. If you can’t find farro, you can definitely replace it with your favorite grain/starch like barley, quinoa, brown rice, or wheat berries. You’ll need 2 cups of cooked grain to make this salad if using something other than farro.

Is Farro Gluten Free?

No — Farro is a type of wheat so it does contain gluten.

How to Serve this Farro Salad

• Make it a meal by adding some protein like a hard boiled egg or chickpeas.
• Serve warm or cold! Both ways this salad tastes delicious.
• Makes a great side dish when paired with a cooked vegetable and a vegan sausage.
• To make it vegan, leave off the goat cheese.

Looking for more recipes that use farro? Check out these!

• Italian Farro Soup | Vegan
• Strawberry Avocado and Farro Salad | Vegetarian

Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Deborah Davis
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 5-6 1x
• Category: Salad, Side, Entree
• Method: Stove-Top, Roasted
• Cuisine: Vegetarian, Mediterranean
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Step up your salad game by making this warm farro salad with roasted root vegetables! Simple ingredients like roasted vegetables, lemon and rosemary complement each other perfectly.

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Ingredients

For the Roasted Vegetables: 

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (~3 1/2 cups)
• 2–3 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins OR quartered
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
• Dash of sea salt and ground black pepper

For the Farro: 

• 1 cup dry semi pearled farro
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup water

For the Salad: 

• 1/2 (5 oz.) bag baby spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (OR 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder)
• 1/2 lemon juiced (~1/2 tablespoon lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (omit if vegan)
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

For the roasted vegetables:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss squash, carrots, and red onion in olive oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until tender and lightly browned, about 45-55 minutes. Once roasted, transfer to a large mixing bowl. 

For the farro:

1. Meanwhile, bring broth and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the farro, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain any extra liquid and transfer to a large non-stick skillet and set aside.

For the Salad:

1. Add your spinach and garlic to the same skillet as the warm farro and sauté over medium-low heat just until spinach is wilted. 
2. Add to the mixing bowl with the roasted vegetables.
3. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, vinegar, olive oil, goat cheese, pistachios, and cranberries. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm or chilled.

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Notes

• Salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
• Freezes well in an airtight container. When ready to eat, allow to thaw in the fridge overnight or microwave in covered dish until warm. 

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/5 salad
• Calories: 315 kcals
• Sugar: 2 g
• Sodium: 80 mg
• Fat: 13 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 37.5 g
• Fiber: 7.5 g
• Protein: 8 g
• Cholesterol: 5 mg