Apple Spinach Farro Salad
Gorgeous Apple Spinach Farro Salad with hearty farro, juicy apples, fresh spinach, crunchy pecans and sweet cranberries, all tossed in a bright lemon vinaigrette. This vegetarian dish is healthy, bursting with flavor and easy to customize with additional protein! The perfect fall-inspired recipe to serve as a light lunch or side dish.
This Apple Spinach Farro Salad is really getting me in the mood for all things fall! It has all the right blends of contrasting textures and flavors — crunchy and chewy, sweet and sharp. Crisp, slightly tart apples are combined with chewy farro, sweet cranberries, and crunchy chopped pecans for an incredible dish. Every time I bring this salad to a gathering, I get a ton of requests for the recipe! And you better believe, it will be on my holiday table!
Why you should make this recipe
- Healthy. Farro is super nutritious! It’s packed full of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This salad also contains lots of other good-for-you ingredients, from the spinach to the apples.
- Versatile. You can customize this farro salad recipe to your liking by adding or removing ingredients. You could add some grilled chicken or chickpeas for extra protein, or swap out the feta cheese for a different type of cheese like goat cheese. This makes it a great option for any taste preferences or dietary restrictions.
- So delicious. The combination of in-season fruit, veggies, fresh herbs, nuts and a bright vinaigrette creates a sensational flavor profile you’re sure to love. And it makes a great holiday side dish, vegetarian main course or potluck offering.
Ingredients needed
For this farro salad recipe, we’re using seasonal ingredients that are so delicious this time of year! Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:
- Farro. The wonderful nutty flavor and chewy texture pairs so well with all of the other ingredients. You can definitely sub another favorite grain, such as rice, quinoa, or barley.
- Spinach. There’s something about apples and spinach together in this salad that just makes sense. Feel free to do half arugula and half spinach for a little more zing if you’d like!
- Apple. Grab your favorite super juicy apple to add natural sweetness. We like pink lady or Honeycrisp apples best. Chop the apple into small bite-sized pieces instead of slices, if preferred.
- Pecans. For the perfect, nutty crunch. Or use another favorite nut – almonds, walnuts or pistachios would be great options.
- Dried cranberries. The chewy sweetness is SO delicious in every bite. Use craisins or dried cherries, if that’s what you have.
- Green onions. A nice savory balance to the sweetness of the apples and cranberries.
- Parsley. Fresh herbs always add that something special to any dish.
- Feta. The creamy, salty flavor feta gives to the salad is absolutely fabulous. You can also use goat cheese for a little more tang, or even gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles. Omit to keep this recipe dairy free and vegan.
- Homemade lemon vinaigrette. An easy dressing made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dijon mustard, salt & pepper.
How to cook farro
Making farro for farro salad is really easy. You’ll just need to make sure you allow time for it to fully cook, since it can take up to about 40 minutes, depending on the variety of farro. It’s similar to cooking quoina, but takes a bit longer.
- Rinse the farro.
- Add broth (or water) in a 1:2 ratio of farro:liquid. I like to also cook the farro in a bit of butter for extra flavor, but this is optional.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 30-45 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Alternatively, if you have a rice cooker you can cook the farro in that on the brown rice setting.
- Remove from heat and allow farro to cool slightly or completely before adding it to the salad.
How to make this recipe
Once the farro is cooked and the vinaigrette is made, this salad comes together in under 5 minutes!
- Cook the farro.
- Prep other salad ingredients while the farro is cooking.
- Make the lemon vinaigrette while the farro is cooking.
- Once farro has cooled, mix all salad ingredients.
- Toss everything together with the delicious lemon vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy!
Expert tips
- Depending on whether you have pearled, semi-pearled or whole farro, the cook time will vary. If you’re not sure which variety you have, check the cook time on the label or just test the farro frequently for doneness after about 15 minutes of cook time passing.
- While the farro cooks, you can be prepping all of the other components (whisk together the dressing, toast the pecans, slice the apple, chop the parsley, and measure out cheese and cranberries).
- If you’re looking to save time, cook your farro in advance, up to 3 days before you plan to make this salad.
- Keep a watchful eye on the pecans as they toast in the skillet, and stir often. They can go from golden brown to burnt quickly. Freshly toasted nuts add tons of savory flavor and extra-crisp texture—don’t skip this step! See below for specific instructions.
- You can use as much or as little of the lemon vinaigrette as you prefer. Much of the time, I use just a small portion to cut down on calories.
- You can serve the salad immediately while it is still a bit warm, or you can let it come to room temperature. Or you can make it all the way though, and refrigerate it for 8 hours before serving. We love this salad slightly warm or room temperature, but we also enjoy it straight out of the fridge… all three ways are delicious.
Frequently asked questions
Farro is an ancient whole grain derived from wheat. It is not gluten free, however, it is a tasty whole grain that’s rich in protein and fiber. It’s also chewy, nutty, and SO delicious added to everything from salads to stews!
You’ll find farro sold in the following ways:
Whole farro. The grain is left completely in tact, which means when cooked, whole farro has a bit more flavor and the texture is a bit chewier. Whole farro also requires the longest cook time, about 40 minutes.
Cracked, semi-pearled or pearled farro. Some of or all of the bran has been removed, which means the cook time will be a bit less and the texture less chewy.
Whole, cracked, and pearled farro can be used interchangeably in this farro salad recipe, as well as most other farro recipes. Be sure to take note of the cooking instructions on the package of the farro you purchased in order to gauge cook time and liquid requirements.
According to Healthline, farro is an excellent source of protein, fiber and nutrients like magnesium, zinc and some B vitamins. It’s also a great alternative to refined grains, such as white rice, and is the perfect healthy carb to incorporate into your diet.
The first step when cooking farro is always to rinse it to remove any dust remaining after processing. The dust left in the grain can make it get gummy or sticky when cooked.
How to toast pecans
I know it can be tricky to find toasted nuts, but it’s super easy (and worth it) to toast your own!
- Add your chopped pecans to a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
- Carefully toss them around until they begin to smell fragrant, which should be about 5 minutes.
- Make sure you are stirring them around and watching constantly so they don’t have a chance to burn!
That’s it! Toasting them really brings out their flavor and a wonderful crunch.
Variations
There are so many different ways to customize your farro salad! Here are some of my favorite easy swaps.
- Instead of cranberries you could also use dried cherries or even golden raisins.
- Feel free to use pistachios, walnuts or almonds instead of pecans for a different flavor.
- If you’re not vegan or vegetarian and you want to add a bit more protein to this salad, you could add diced or shredded cooked chicken.
- Feel free to add in other ingredients you may have in your kitchen. Roasted chickpeas, diced avocado, marinated artichokes would all be amazing added to this dish!
Leftovers & meal prep
Once dressed, this apple spinach farro salad doesn’t stay fresh much more than about a day. The dressing makes the spinach soggy and the apple slices may begin to brown and lose texture. I’d recommend only dressing what you will enjoy the same day.
Meal prep tip. To make this salad in advance for the week. Store ingredients separately and then add them together just before enjoying. Alternatively, mix all ingredients except for the dressing and use a heartier salad green, like kale or collard greens instead of the spinach. Spinach is delicious in this, but it does wilt quickly. Another option is to keep the greens to the side of the salad and mix them in just before serving.
More healthy salad recipes
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Apple Spinach Farro Salad
Ingredients
For the farro
- 1 1/2 cups farro, (not quick cooking, sometimes called Pearled Italian)
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the lemon vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice , (juice from about 1 lemon)
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 cup olive oil
For the salad
- 3-4 cups cooked farro, from above
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 medium pink lady, gala, or honey crisp apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or craisins
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions, including mostly green stem
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup feta, shaved parmesan, or blue cheese, optional
Instructions
- Rinse farro in cold water with a fine mesh sieve. Cook all farro ingredients in a rice cooker on brown rice setting, or bring all ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan, then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes until liquid is absorbed and farro is light, soft and fluffy. Drain any remaining liquid, but don’t rinse. Allow farro to cool slightly.
- While farro is cooking, whisk the dressing ingredients together until well blended.
- To make the salad, add cooled (room temp or slightly warm is best) farro to a large bowl. Mix in salad ingredients, except cheese. Drizzle dressing over the salad a little at a time while stirring salad. You may have a little dressing leftover. Top with cheese and mix.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Looks delicious. Saving this one! Just curious–why do you recommend not using quick-cooking farro?
You can definitely use quick-cooking Farro… I just really like the extra chewiness of longer cooking farro. Hope you get a chance to give it a try.
Wow this looks like the perfect fall salad! Can’t wait to make it, just went apple picking!!
The look and sound of this salad is fabulous! The lemon vinaigrette seems to bring out all the flavors. Its simply divine.
I actually had farro for the first time this year! It looks absolutely amazing in this salad. So perfect for fall. Yum!
This salad is gorgeous! Loving the fall flavors with the apple. I bet it would make a great Thanksgiving side dish too!
Looks so delicious and fun! Can’t wait to try this one.
Yummy and healthy and crunchy combination. Love the dressing and the nutty flavor too. Best Dinner for sure.
Such a colourful and hearty salad. I love the crnaberries and nuts in it.
I have a nearly-forgotten box of farro in the cupboard. I can’t wait to make this loaded salad with it.
What an EPIC looking salad! I’ve recently got the farro bug too and always on the lookout for new things to do with it. Wouldn’t have thought of using apple but the crunch and fresh flavours sound delicious. YUM!
This salad is everything FALL should be! I love the combo of the apples and pecans!