Farro Salad Recipe with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Spinach & Cashews

This robust whole grain salad incorporates slightly chewy farro with fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cashews and a light lemon dressing.

“Farro?! What’s that?” inquired my boys. I know, I know. First it was quinoa, then it was barley, and now I’m pushing this new whole grain on them. Well, it’s not actually new. In fact, farro has been showing up in Italian, North African and Middle Eastern cuisine for hundred, if not thousands, of years. It’s been likened to spelt or wheat berries, but the truth is that farro is a plant all of its own.

So, what the heck do you do with farro, and why do you want to incorporate this tender, chewy grain into your diet?

Let’s answer the second question first. Rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E, farro is a virtual powerhouse of “good health”. Since farro is a complex carbohydrate, it breaks down slowly and keeps you feeling full for hours. Work the light brown grain into everything from soups to salads and puddings to “risotto”s.

A couple of years ago, farro was next to impossible to find in Salt Lake City. Now it’s popping up in various markets, including at Whole Foods, in their bulk food section. When I was browsing through our one and only Trader Joe’s store, I came across their 10-minute farro, which has been par-cooked. The Trader Joe’s site claims that this process preserves the nutritive properties of the grain. Say it’s so!

After 10 minutes of simmering the farro is ready to go. For this salad, I let the cooked grain cool to room temperature, then tossed it with sliced sun-dried tomatoes, crunchy raw cashew nuts, fresh spinach leaves and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. It’s the perfect side dish for a simply broiled salmon fillet or grilled chicken thighs.

The recipe:

The salad:

Combine the farro and water in a small saucepan set over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let the farro simmer until tender (10 minutes for quick-cooking and about 25 minutes for regular farro). Remove from the heat, let the farro rest for 5 minutes, then pour off extra water and fluff with a fork.

Transfer the farro to a serving and let it cool to room temperature.

When the farro is cool, stir in the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, cashews and basil.

The dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil salt and pepper until combined.

Pour the dressing over the farro salad and toss to coat. Serve.

Other recipes using whole grains:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Baked Turkey, Quinoa & Zucchini Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps
Cookin’ Canuck’s Barley Stew with Caramelized Onions, White Beans & Spinach
Family Fresh Cooking’s Sweet Dumpling Squash with Quinoa, Bacon & Cheese
Kitchen Confidante’s Barley Risotto with Artichokes & Asparagus
Brooklyn Supper’s Farro Salad with Blood Orange, Kumquat & Kale

Tagged as: cashew, farro, healthy, recipe, salad, spinach, sun-dried tomato, whole grain