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!
Craving a sweet/savory/crunchy salad that is full of goodies? Then you are in the right place!
There is nothing I love more than a good salad, and I’m so excited to share this autumn apple farro salad with you today, because it’s so freaking good!
This autumn apple farro salad
- is easy to prep ahead and toss together later
- can use almost any type of apple
- uses my favorite white wine vinaigrette
How to make farro salad
I really need to cook farro more often because it is so delicious! Farro is kind of nutty, and a bit more hardy than rice, and has a really great chew to it. It gives this farro salad recipe more staying power, keeping you full for longer!
- Cook your farro. I’ve successfully cooked farro in my rice cooker, but it took FOREVER. I prefer cooking it on the stove top. Simmer for 30 minutes, then drain off excess water and cool. Your farro must be cool before assembling this salad!
- Shake up your vinaigrette- I used a simple white wine vinaigrette for this recipe, but I bet a balsamic vinaigrette would be great as well!
- Toss together all your ingredients! Make sure to chop your apple right before dressing the salad; it actually keeps in the dressing for several hours without browning.
What to serve with this autumn farro salad recipe? We enjoyed ours served with this Herb Crusted Broiled Salmon, but I bet it would also be great with this 3 Ingredient Maple Glazed Salmon, this Perfect Baked Chicken Breast, this Honey Garlic Chicken, or this Sweet Chili Chicken.
How do I cook farro in the rice cooker? I used the ‘white rice’ setting on my rice cooker and the amount of water listed on the package. It took over an hour to cook but was delicious and perfectly fluffy!
Can I prepare this apple salad ahead? This salad keeps OK for a few hours, but it would be better to keep everything separate and dress right before serving! If you’re going to prepare ahead, make sure to chop the apples just before serving for the best flavor and crunch.
Tips & equipment for this farro salad recipe
- I chopped my apples with my favorite knife
- I recommend my trusty salad dressing shaker
or a simple half pint mason jar
to whip up the salad dressing
- Looking for more simple salad recipes? Check out this Asian Slaw with Sesame Vinaigrette, our Staple Kale Salad, this Healthy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad, or this Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean Salad
Autumn Apple Farro Salad
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup uncooked farro
- 1 apple (chopped; can use any type of apple)
- 4 handfulls spinach (or arugula)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
White Wine Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 1/4 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 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then drain off extra water and allow to cool.
- Shake together all vinaigrette ingredients.
- Toss everything together in a large bowl, and enjoy!
To prep ahead
- Keep all components separate until just before serving. Do not chop up apple until just before serving.
- Once dressed, the salad will keep for a few hours, but for best flavor & crunch, enjoy right after dressing.
Love this salad! It is so fresh tasting, and the flavourful dressing tops it off so well. Yum!
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Karen!
I have never crazy about beets, but this looks inviting ……….thanks
This sounds amazing!!! Do you think you could layer this salad in Mason jars and have for a quick lunch?
I think that would work great! Make sure to put the spinach at the top 🙂
Love eating filling salads like this for lunches! I recently discovered farro, and love adding it to salads!