Mediterranean Chickpea and Farro Salad

Gorgeous Mediterranean Chickpea and Farro Salad packed with bright vegetables, herbs, and feta plus a delicious dressing. A great lunch or potluck salad for a crowd that gets better as it sits in the fridge!

I feel like farro is having a moment.

Is it just because they mentioned it 37 times on the last season I watched of Top Chef? Or because I can't stop shoveling this Strawberry Spinach Salad in my face? Perhaps.

It's so darn nutty and chewy and honestly far tastier than most other grains with the exception of rice. Because who doesn't love rice!

Can I be honest? Quinoa is kind of meh to me lately. It definitely adds substance and works as a nice base...a canvas of sorts. Farro however, adds mighty texture and flavor.

A double whammy of an ancient grain, I tell you!

So let's make a Mediterranean-inspired farro salad! Today we're taking farro and smushing it with veggies, herbs, chickpeas, and my beloved Italian Dressing. A batch of dressing is the perfect amount for this delish lunch situation.

We've got chewy sun dried tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, bell pepper, fresh parsley, chickpeas, and some feta if you're feeling fancy. I may or may not be salivating over all the bright flavors as I type this.

So filling. So satisfying. A salad people will ask you the recipe for, no doubt about it.

Add in somethin' delish!

This recipe makes quite a large batch, so you can totally cut it down if need be.

• Add grilled chicken or shrimp if you're feeling a protein oomph.
• Use whatever seasonal veggies you love, like fresh tomatoes, cucumber, celery, or radish.
• Serve with a simple green salad and juicy grapes for a little snack plate!
• Add something sweet, like dried cherries.
• Add crunch with roasted  pepitas, but sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Mmmmm.
• Make it vegan by omitting the cheese. Avocado would be delish, too.
• Make it gluten free by swapping the farro for brown or wild rice or quinoa.

You can cook farro over the stove or in the Instant Pot. I like to get the quick-cooking kind from Trader Joe's that cooks in 10 minutes.

To make over the stove, boil a medium pot of salted water (a 1:3 ratio of farro to water is a safe bet), add the farro, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender but still chewy. Drain any excess liquid.

To make in the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 7-8 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure.

More salad recipes to drool over

• Power Salad with Za'atar Sweet Potatoes
• Healthy Broccoli Salad
• Summer Quinoa Salad
• Brussels Sprout Kale Caesar Salad

LET'S DO THIS!

Mediterranean Chickpea and Farro Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Alexis Joseph | Hummusapien
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Lunch and Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: mediterranean

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Description

Gorgeous Mediterranean Chickpea and Farro Salad packed with bright vegetables, herbs, and feta plus a delicious dressing. A great lunch or potluck salad for a crowd that gets better as it sits in the fridge! This recipe makes A LOT, so feel free to cut it in half.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 ¼ cups farro
• 2 bell peppers (I like orange and yellow here), diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 cup fresh parsley*, chopped
• ½ cup kalamata olives, chopped
• ¾ cup julienne-style sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
• 3.5 oz feta cheese
• 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 batch Italian Dressing

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Instructions

1. Cook farro according to the package directions. Once it's done, drain any excess water and transfer to a medium bowl. Place bowl in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to expedite cooling while you finish prepping.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place bell peppers, parsley, onion, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and chickpeas in a large mixing bowl. Crumble on the feta (I like to use a block of feta that I crumble for the best flavor).
3. Add the cooled farro and dressing and toss everything to combine. Serve chilled, as the flavor will get even better once it's sat in the refrigerator!

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Notes

*In addition to parsley, I love adding a big handful of fresh chopped basil and dill if I have them on hand!

COOKING FARRO: Cooking times vary depending on the type of farro. Pearled takes 15-20 minutes, semi-pearled 25-30 minutes, and whole 40 minutes.

TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: Sub quinoa or brown rice for the farro.