Farro Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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This amazing farro salad features cannellini beans, fresh mozzarella, arugula and sun-dried tomatoes all tossed in a bright and delicious basil vinaigrette!

Fun fact: I’m obsessed with farro. I think it’s a highly underrated grain! It’s very nutritious (packed with plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) and I love the nutty flavor and chewy texture it adds to recipes like this farro salad!

This farro salad recipe was inspired by a local Greek market called Stella’s here in Richmond. I absolutely love their version and wanted to try recreating it at home.

The delicious combination of Mediterranean flavors, with white beans, mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula, makes for such a tasty salad! And the basil vinaigrette is out of this world.

Arugula, farro, mozzarella, basil vinaigrette, sun-dried tomatoes and cannellini beans measured out into bows and jars.

Farro Salad Ingredients

  • farro – you’ll find dry farro by the other grains in the grocery store. Cook time for the farro will differ based on what variety you buy so you’ll want to follow the instructions on your package. Before cooking it looks like a wheat berry and after cooking it looks similar to barley. In terms of taste, farro has a mild, nutty flavory and a chewy texture. It is a wheat grain so farro does have gluten. That said, if you are gluten-free you can still make this salad! Just swap the farro for a gluten-free grain like rice or quinoa.
  • cannellini beans – also known as white kidney beans. I used canned beans for a shortcut!
  • sun-dried tomatoes – look for some that are red instead of brownish in color. I’ve found they’re softer and they add a vibrant color to the salad as well.
  • mini mozzarella balls – also known as pearled mozzarella, these little balls are about the size of marble and are perfect in this salad. If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, you can use larger mozzarella balls and cut them into smaller pieces. It won’t look as pretty, but will still taste delish! If you don’t have mozzarella on hand I bet this salad would be tasty with crumbled feta instead. And you can skip the cheese to make this recipe dairy-free, if needed.
  • baby arugula – the perfect, zesty green to add to this salad!
  • sea salt and pepper – to bring all of the flavors together.
  • basil vinaigrette – a delicious combination of basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallot, sea salt and pepper.
Farro salad with arugula, beans, tomatoes and mozzarella in a mixing bowl with a spoon.

How to Serve Farro Salad

This farro salad could be eaten on its own (it makes a great lunch) or served as a side salad! If you want to add extra protein, it would be delicious with grilled chicken. And if you’re hosting a backyard picnic, it makes an amazing side salad. Here are some other dishes it would pair well with:

Farro salad with arugula, beans, tomatoes and mozzarella in a serving bowl.

How to Store Leftovers

This salad stores so well! Farro is a heartier grain so I actually think this salad gets better with time. I like to make it a few hours in advance to let the flavors marinate together. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

More Salad Recipes to Try

Be sure to check out the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!

  • Cook farro according to package. You should end up with a little over 2 cups of cooked farro once cooked and drained. Run under cold water to cool. Drain well.

  • Add all dressing ingredients into a high powered blender and blend for at least 1 minute, or until basil is really chopped up and dressing is emulsified. Yield: little less than 3/4 cup total

  • Add cooked farro, cannellini beans, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella balls and arugula into a bowl. Add dressing and toss. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve right away or chill in the fridge before serving. Recipe will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.

  • Farro swap: If needed you can use barley instead of farro for this salad.

Serving: 1/6 of recipe | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

This post was originally published on July 23, 2021 and republished on April 17, 2024.

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