Vegan Greek Farro Salad Recipe

Name: Vegan Greek Farro Salad Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup farro (, dry (use semi pearled or pearled, see note)); 1/2 cup peperoncini (, chopped (leave out if you don't want any spice)); 1/2 cup Greek olives (, sliced ); 1/2 cup cucumbers (, chopped); 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes (, chopped); ½ cup red onion (, chopped ); 1/2 cup vegan Feta (, I use my homemade version or you can use store bought); 2 tablespoons fresh oregano; drizzle olive oil (, optional or leave out for oil free)

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This vegan Greek farro salad is full of incredible savory flavors and healthy whole food ingredients. The boldness yet simplicity of the salad will keep you coming back for more!

This recipe is filled with incredible flavors like pepperoncini, olives and red onion mixed with the more neutral tastes of the cucumber and tomato for an incredible end result.

Spoon in white bowl filled with Greek farro salad on a blue and white striped cloth.

This recipe was originally published on 5/27/14

If you love my traditional Greek Salad recipe, you need to try this one! It has a couple extra ingredients to bulk it up into a filling meal. And becuase farro salad with feta is so amazing, you can't forget the cherry on top, this vegan feta cheese recipe! It's salty, tart and the perfect substitute for it's dairy counterpart!

My favorite thing about farro is the texture. It is perfectly chewy and al dente and has a great almost nutty flavor. Plus, it's high in protein, fiber, and calcium, perfect for adding more nutrients to your diet.

If you're gluten free, like me, you can always substitute the farro with quinoa or brown rice.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this amazing vegan farro salad:

Farro
Pepperoncini
Greek olives
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Red onion
Vegan Feta
Fresh oregano

Different ingredients like veggies and vegan feta in bowls on a wooden table.

How To Make Farro Salad

I love the ease of this farro Greek salad. It really couldn't be easier! Here's what to do:

Cook the farro, drain, and rinse.
Add farro and all ingredients to a bowl.
Mix and serve!

Blue strainer filled with cooked farro on a wooden table.

White bowl with farro, veggies and vegan feta in piles.

Tips for Cooking Farro

If you don't know how to cook farro never fear, it's pretty simple!

One cup of dry farro will result in 3 cups of cooked farro.
Rinse the farro in a fine mesh strainer before cooking to rinse off the powdery coating. This will help to avoid a starchy consistency.
You don't need to exactly measure the amount of water used since you will be draining the excess, similar to cooking pasta. Shoot for around 3 times the amount of farro, in this recipe 3 cups of water for the 1 cup of farro.
Bring salted water to a boil then add in the farro.
Cook until it is tender yet still chewy, this should take about 20-30 minutes.
Drain the cooked farro and rinse with fresh water.
Season and use immediately or store. Cooked farro will stay good in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

Flavor suggestions

One of the many wonderful things about this Mediterranean farro salad is how easy it is to customize! Try adding in any of these other ingredients to mix up the flavor:

Shredded spinach
Other greens like arugula, kale, or chard
Crumble up some Vegan Bacon
Bell peppers - fresh or roasted
Chickpeas
Dill
Garlic

What to Serve with a Greek Farro Salad

This tasty salad is hearty enough to be served as a complete meal, but it's also great paired with any of these plant based recipes:

A fork in a pile of farro with Greek themed ingredients mixed in on a white plate

Make ahead suggestions

Probably the best thing about this Greek farro salad recipe is that it can be made ahead of time. It's great for meal prep, or for simply making it super easy to mix up in 5 minutes when you're ready to serve on busy weeknights!

Clean and chop the veggies.
Cook the farro.
Store everything in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to mix up!
If you're serving it cold, you can serve right away.
If you'd like to serve it warm, you can heat it up on the stovetop in a skillet, or quickly in the microwave.

More tips and tricks

A few more helpful hints to help you out:

Make sure to rinse the farro before cooking.
If you use whole farro instead of pearled, soak it before cooking to cut down on the cook time.
To make this gluten-free sub the farro with rice or quinoa. I love wild rice.
You can use dried oregano, but only use 2 teaspoons as it is stronger than fresh.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, depending on how fresh your veggies are.

Common Questions

Is Farro a carb or protein?

Farro is an ancient wheat grain that is really nutritious. It has both carbs and protein. While not gluten free, it is more digestible than other gluten filled grains. Both my husband and I digest it more easily.

¼ cup of dry farro has about 6 grams of protein. It has 34 grams of carbs, but 5 of those grams are fiber.

What's healthier farro or quinoa?

Both farro and quinoa are healthy grains that offer nutritional benefits. Farro has slightly more calories than quinoa, 170 vs 156 per ¼ cup serving. Both grains have a good amount of protein; quinoa has 6 grams per serving while farro has 7. Farro is also significantly higher in calcium, but quinoa is lower in carbs. So it really just comes down to what you're looking for in nutrition as far as which would be considered healthier.

Can you eat farro cold?

Yes you can! This cold farro salad is one example of the many ways you can enjoy farro cold.

Does farro need to be rinsed?

Yes. If you look at farro when you buy it, you'll see that it is covered with a powder like substance. It should be rinsed off before cooking.

What is farro salad made of?

You can make a variety of salads with farro. This one features Mediterranean flavors like tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta.

What is farro good with?

Practically anything! It's great mixed up with fresh veggies and herbs as a salad, but you can also make dishes like risotto, or even just served alone as a side to any entree.

More Vegan Salad Recipes

Healthy farro salad Whether you need a fresh and healthy meal, or a side to go along with your favorite dishes, these plant based salad recipes have you covered: