FARRO SALAD WITH TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA
I’ve written about my love of farro before, so I’ll try not to ramble on too much about this ancient grain here. But if you haven’t had the pleasure of eating farro before now, I encourage you to give it a try. It’s a whole grain with a nutty flavor and a pleasingly chewy texture, similar to wheat berries or barley (which you can substitute for the farro). I wrote a “Farro 101” of sorts at the end of this post, if you need more convincing or more information on how to shop for and cook farro.
This farro salad is quite versatile and can be easily adapted to the seasons. In the fall, I might swap out the tomatoes for roasted butternut squash and the mozzarella for goat cheese or feta cheese. For a vegan-friendly variation, omit the cheese entirely and add cooked chickpeas or cannellini beans. Leftover salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but it’s best served at room temperature.
This farro salad is quite versatile and can be easily adapted to the seasons. In the fall, I might swap out the tomatoes for roasted butternut squash and the mozzarella for goat cheese or feta cheese. For a vegan-friendly variation, omit the cheese entirely and add cooked chickpeas or cannellini beans. Leftover salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but it’s best served at room temperature.
Author: Wholesome Family Kitchen
Serves: 6 to 8 as a side dish.
Ingredients
- • 3 cups cooked farro *, cooled to room temperature
- • ¼ cup finely chopped (or snipped with scissors) fresh chives
- • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
- • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
- • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces (I like to use the small, cherry-sized balls of fresh mozzarella that are sold in plastic tubs and packed in water, usually labeled ciliegine; then it’s easy to halve or quarter them into smaller bite-sized pieces.)
- • 1 large garlic clove, minced
- • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- • 2 teaspoons honey
- • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- • ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the cooked farro in a large bowl. Add the chives, parsley, tomatoes, and mozzarella, and stir gently to combine.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the garlic, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
* To yield 3 cups of cooked farro, you’ll need to cook approximately 8 ounces, or about a heaping cup, of dried farro. Simply follow the cooking instructions on the package, or read more about cooking farro in this post.
Recipe adapted from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes, by Giada De Laurentiis.
Recipe adapted from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes, by Giada De Laurentiis.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-farro-salad-tomatoes-mozzarella/