Farro Salad with Goat Cheese
Chewy farro grains tossed with fresh vegetables, creamy goat cheese, and a bright lemon vinaigrette. A satisfying vegetarian salad that works as a side or light main course.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 12g
Ingredients
- 1 cup Farro
- 1.5 cups Cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium Cucumber
- ¼ cup Red onion
- ¼ cup Fresh basil leaves
- 4 oz Goat cheese
- 3 tablespoons Lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons Olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Pour 1 cup farro into a medium pot and add 3 cups water plus a pinch of salt.
- 2
Bring the water to a boil over high heat — you'll see big rolling bubbles breaking the surface.
- 3
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring once every 8 minutes, until the farro grains are tender but still slightly chewy when you bite one.
- 4
Drain the farro in a fine-mesh strainer and let it sit in the strainer for 2 minutes so excess water drains away.
- 5
Cut each cherry tomato in half lengthwise from the pointed top to the bottom, creating two cup-shaped halves.
- 6
Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler using downward strokes, rotating it as you go, until all the green skin is removed.
- 7
Cut the peeled cucumber in half lengthwise from one pointed end to the other, then slice each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons.
- 8
Cut the red onion in half from root to tip, place each half flat-side down, then slice crosswise into thin strips about 1/8-inch wide.
- 9
Stack 3–4 basil leaves on top of each other, roll them tightly lengthwise, then slice crosswise into thin ribbons about 1/8-inch wide.
- 10
Place the cooled farro in a large bowl and pour 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 5 tablespoons olive oil over it.
- 11
Add 0.5 teaspoons salt and 0.25 teaspoons black pepper, then stir with a large spoon for 30 seconds until the dressing coats all the grains evenly.
- 12
Add the tomato halves, cucumber slices, red onion strips, and basil ribbons to the farro and stir gently for 10 seconds until everything is mixed.
- 13
Break the goat cheese into bite-sized crumbles about the size of a grape using your fingers directly over the salad bowl.
- 14
Stir gently one more time for 5 seconds just to distribute the cheese without breaking it into tiny pieces.
- 15
Taste the salad by putting a spoonful in your mouth, then add more salt or lemon juice if it needs it.
Tools you’ll need
- Medium pot
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Large mixing bowl
- Large spoon
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