Mediterranean Farro with Cucumber (Printable version)
Hearty farro combined with crisp cucumber, feta, tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a lemon-olive dressing.
# Ingredient list:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked farro
02 - 3 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 large cucumber, diced
06 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
→ Cheese
08 - 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
→ Fresh Herbs
09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
→ Dressing
11 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - Juice of 1 large lemon
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
# Directions:
01 - Rinse farro under cold water. Combine farro, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes until tender yet chewy. Drain and let cool slightly.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl to create the dressing.
03 - Add cooked farro, cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, Kalamata olives, chopped parsley, and mint to the bowl. Toss gently to blend evenly.
04 - Fold crumbled feta cheese into the salad mixture.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It's a salad that actually fills you up, thanks to the hearty farro.
- Everything comes together in under an hour, and most of that is just waiting for the grain to cook.
- You can make it ahead and it holds up beautifully in the fridge, getting more flavorful as it sits.
- It's elegant enough to bring to a dinner party but easy enough for a Tuesday lunch.
02 -
- The farro has to cool slightly before you add it to the dressing or the herbs will wilt and turn dark—warmth is fine, hot is not.
- This salad actually tastes better the next day because everything melds, but the cucumber gets softer, so save some fresh cucumber pieces to stir in right before serving if you're eating day-old salad.
03 -
- Toast your dried oregano in your palm for a few seconds before adding it to the dressing—it wakes up the flavor and makes the whole thing taste more intentional.
- Always taste the farro by itself after it cooks; this is how you know if you need more salt in the dressing or less, because every batch of farro absorbs salt slightly differently.