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Home Meal Type Salad
5
/5
45 minutes

Autumn Apple Farro Salad

Gluten Free Gluten Free Vegetarian Vegetarian
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard12 Comments
Posted: 11/3/20 Updated: 11/5/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This autumn apple farro salad contains crunchy Granny Smith apples, pecans, dried cranberries, feta cheese, farro and spinach, all tossed in a tangy vinaigrette. The perfect way to celebrate apple season!

When it comes to salad, I go back to my 'formula' time and time again: something crunchy, something salty, something sweet and something tangy. It worked for this pear, gouda and hazelnut spinach salad, and for this kale, barley salad, and it works in this autumn apple farro salad, as well!

farro salad in bowl with apples, cranberries and pecans

With the perfect blend of textures and deliciously contrasting flavors, this salad is hearty and so perfect for fall!

This autumn apple farro salad

  • is hearty yet healthy
  • can be made into a meal by adding protein
  • is flexible and can be partially prepped ahead

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how to prep this salad! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

farro apple salad in bowl before dressing

Ingredient notes

  • farro- a whole wheat grain that is a great alternative to processed grains, it's lower on the glycemic index, meaning it will keep you feeling full for longer. Note that farro is not gluten-free; you may swap for rice or quinoa
  • apples- I can't resist a tart, crunchy Granny Smith apple, however feel free to swap your favorite apple- honey crisp, ambrosia and fuji are all great options! I would avoid macintosh or red delicious as they are just not as crisp.
  • leafy greens- I've used spinach for this salad, but massaged kale, arugula or romaine lettuce would all swap in beautifully
  • nuts- toasted pecans compliment the apples well; swap for sunflower seeds, almonds or walnuts
  • feta cheese- gives this salad a briney/salty flavor as well as added creaminess. Gouda, aged cheddar or parmesan crisps could go nicely in this salad

Cook farro first

Farro is a whole wheat grain that originated in Mesopotamia. Farro is gaining popularity because it’s so healthy for you and a great alternative to processed grains. Farro differs slightly in its cooking method compared to rice or quinoa- rather than using the exact amount of liquid, we use a 'boil and drain' method.

Make sure to start cooking the farro first, as we need it to cook through and cool before assembling the salad.

You can cook farro on the stove top, or in the Instant Pot! Find more detailed information in this how to cook farro post.

pouring the dressing on the apple farro salad recipe

Making the vinaigrette

We are using a neutral but tangy white wine vinaigrette recipe for this salad, as it coats and enhances the flavors of all the ingredients. To make a vinaigrette, simply shake together olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.

You can do this in a mason jar with a lid, or a salad dressing shaker.

Make it a meal

This farro salad is hearty and is great served as a side dish. Add a protein on top to make it into a meal!

Consider adding:

  • Herb Crusted Broiled Salmon
  • 3 Ingredient Maple Glazed Salmon
  • Perfect Baked Chicken Breast
  • Honey Garlic Chicken
  • Sweet Chili Chicken

Meal prep + storage

This salad keeps OK for a few hours, but it would be better to keep everything separate and dress right before serving!

  • cook farro up to 4 days ahead (store in an air tight container in the fridge).
  • crumble feta and slice onions up to 4 days ahead (store in an air tight container in the fridge).
  • prepare the vinaigrette up to 2 weeks ahead (shake well before adding)

Do not cut the apples until just before serving, as they will oxidize and turn brown.

farro apple salad after tossing in the dressing.

 

More side salads

  • Asian Slaw with Sesame Vinaigrette
  • Staple Kale Salad
  • Healthy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
  • Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean Salad
  • Spinach Bacon Salad with Maple Walnuts

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

a white bowl filled with apple pecan farro salad with dressing in a jar

Autumn Apple Farro Salad

5 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
20 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Print Rate
This autumn apple farro salad contains crunchy Granny Smith apples, pecans, dried cranberries, feta cheese, farro and spinach, all tossed in a tangy vinaigrette. The perfect way to celebrate apple season!
6

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup farro uncooked; see note 1
  • 1 apple chopped; can use any type of apple
  • 4 handfulls spinach or arugula
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup pecans
  • ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled

White Wine Vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • salt & pepper

Instructions 

  • Cook farro: rinse under tap water for a minute. Combine in a pot with 2 cups of water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then drain off extra water and allow to cool. 
  • Shake together all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar or salad dressing shaker.
  • Combine the cooled farro with the apple, spinach, cranberries, pecans and feta cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, toss it up and enjoy!

Tips:

1- farro is not gluten-free; if you'd like a truly GF salad, swap for quinoa or rice
2- make this salad a meal by topping with 4 oz of cooked protein (chicken or salmon would both go great)
Storage
This salad is best served immediately after dressing and does not keep for meal prep.
Some salad components may be prepped ahead (store in the fridge):
  • cook farro up to 4 days ahead 
  • crumble feta and slice onions up to 4 days ahead 
  • prepare the vinaigrette up to 2 weeks ahead 
 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of batch, Calories: 237kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 75mg, Potassium: 114mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 105IU, Vitamin C: 1.6mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

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Recipe Rating




  1. Ashley B says

    Posted on 9/19/21 at Posted on 9/19/21

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and I’m completely obsessed. Tangy, sweet, light, and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 9/20/21 at Posted on 9/20/21

      Hi Ashley, we are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!

      Reply
  2. L says

    Posted on 11/26/20 at Posted on 11/26/20

    5 stars
    Made this using kale the other night and it was a huge hit in my house! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 1/5/21 at Posted on 1/5/21

      Yay! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the farro salad. Thank you for coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  3. Barbara says

    Posted on 8/28/20 at Posted on 8/28/20

    5 stars
    This was so delicious! I used barley because I didn’t have farro, but I don’t think it changed the salad much. This is definitely going in the weekly lunch rotation

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 9/1/20 at Posted on 9/1/20

      Hi Barbara! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this salad. That's great to hear that barley worked well in place of farro! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂

      Reply
  4. Karen says

    Posted on 11/17/18 at Posted on 11/17/18

    5 stars
    Love this salad! It is so fresh tasting, and the flavourful dressing tops it off so well. Yum!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 11/22/18 at Posted on 11/22/18

      So happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Karen!

      Reply
  5. Maite says

    Posted on 10/30/18 at Posted on 10/30/18

    I have never crazy about beets, but this looks inviting ..........thanks

    Reply
  6. Jennifer says

    Posted on 9/9/18 at Posted on 9/9/18

    This sounds amazing!!! Do you think you could layer this salad in Mason jars and have for a quick lunch?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 9/20/18 at Posted on 9/20/18

      I think that would work great! Make sure to put the spinach at the top 🙂

      Reply
  7. Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says

    Posted on 9/3/18 at Posted on 9/3/18

    Love eating filling salads like this for lunches! I recently discovered farro, and love adding it to salads!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Denise

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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