Farro Salad with Roasted Red Grapes
Farro salad perfectly balances a nutty, chewy grain with vegetables and sweet roasted red grapes, tossed in a lemon dressing for a fresh, lighter take on a grain salad!
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Farro Salad
- Roasted grapes add a sweetness that offsets the hearty farro.
- As an ancient grain, farro is hearty, filling, and full of fiber.
- With a high veggie ratio, this salad is much more than your average grain salad.
- This recipe is vegan, but you can use dairy feta if you prefer.
My Goal Was to Create the Perfect Balance of Grains, Veggies, and Sweet
When it comes to grain salads, I find that at least one of three things is off.
- There are too many grains.
- There need to be more vegetables.
- The salad needs something sweet to offset the hearty grains.
With this farro salad recipe, I wanted to get the grain-to-vegetable ratio just right (check). I also wanted the sweetness to come from something a little unexpected, which is where the roasted grapes come in. Roasting the grapes concentrates their sweetness and releases their juices. Those juices mingle with the dressing, adding more flavor. I have to admit, this has become one of my all-time favorite salads.
Eat sinfully, live kindly ❤️
Ruth
Why Roast the Grapes?
Roasting grapes concentrates their sugars, making them even sweeter. This flavor perfectly offsets the chewy texture and nutty taste of farro. The grapes also release their juices, which you add and toss with the salad dressing.
What Is Farro?
Farro is an ancient grain made from wheat, with origins tracing back to Mesopotamia. Farro is the Italian name for a family of ancient wheat grains. There are three varieties of farro.
- Farro Grande (Spelt Wheat): Has a larger grain and is popular in central Europe (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). This can be used to make yeast and sourdough breads.
- Farro Piccolo (Einkorn Wheat): The oldest variety and the hardest to find. It has a golden color and a softer flavor. It is sometimes used for delicate baking (pastries, etc.)
- Farro Medio (Emmer Wheat): This plump, dense variety holds its shape well. If you buy a bag of ‘farro’ at the grocery store, it is most likely farro medio. This is perfect for salads.
Ingredients
Key Ingredient Notes
Pearled Farro
For this recipe, look for pearled farro. It cooks much faster than semi-pearled or whole farro. It also does not require soaking. Look for it near the rice or the baking aisle with Bob’s Red Mill. (Might sound strange, but all the ancient grains are in the baking aisle at my store.)
Red Seedless Grapes
Use plump, firm grapes. Because grapes shrink while roasting, I prefer large ones.
Vegan Feta Cheese
This recipe assumes you are using vegan feta, but you can easily swap it for traditional. The flavor is salty, and the texture is creamy, which pairs perfectly with nutty farro.
How to Make Farro Salad
Step-by-step instructions
Step One: Cook the farro
Start by rinsing the farro. Then add it to a medium saucepan with 2 ½ cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer according to the package directions, usually about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and spread the cooked farro on a baking sheet and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
Step Two: Roast the grapes
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the red grapes with olive oil and salt. Place them on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring halfway through. You want the grapes softened, blistered, and starting to leak juice. You do not want them to collapse. Save the juice.
Step Three: Make the dressing
Add olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper to a small jar. Cover and shake to combine the ingredients. The dressing will be a bit tart, which is what you want. The grapes and their juice bring the sweetness.
Step Four: Combine
In a large bowl, combine the cooled farro, arugula, mint, parsley, green onions, and salad dressing. Gently fold in the grapes and their juices, then top with vegan feta cheese.
Step Five: Serve
Serve the farro salad warm, at room temperature, or chilled. I recommend eating this salad warm, when the feta is creamy.
What to Serve With This Farro Salad
How to Store This Recipe
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you are meal prepping, store the grapes, cheese, and dressing separately. Then mix, then top with feta just before serving.
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this farro salad with roasted red grapes as much as I do! Before you go, please leave me a rating and a comment letting me know how it went.
Farro Salad with Roasted Red Grapes
Ingredients
Farro Salad
- 1 cup farro
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups red grapes (seedless)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cups lightly packed arugula
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled vegan feta, optional
Lemon Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the farro: Rinse the farro. Then add it to a medium saucepan with 2 ½ cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer according to the package directions, usually about 20-25 minutes. Drain and spread the cooked farro on a baking sheet and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Roast the grapes: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the red grapes with olive oil and salt. Place them on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 18-22 minutes, stirring halfway through. You want the grapes softened, blistered, and starting to leak juice. You do not want them to collapse. Save the juice.
- Make the dressing: Add olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper to a small jar. Cover and shake to combine. The dressing will be a bit tart, which is what you want. The grapes and their juice bring the sweetness.
- Combine: In a large bowl, combine the cooled farro, arugula, mint, parsley, green onions, and salad dressing. Gently fold in the grapes and their juices. Top the salad with vegan feta cheese.
- Serve: Serve the farro salad warm, at room temperature, or chilled. I recommend eating this salad warm, when the feta is creamy.
Notes
- Watch the grapes closely: Grapes can go from soft and blistered to totally collapsed.
- Gluten-free option: Substitute quinoa for farro
- Make it ahead: If you are making this ahead, store the farro, cut vegetables, and roasted grapes separately. Assemble shortly before serving.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The arugula will soften, and the grapes will release more liquid, but the flavor still holds up.