Jeweled Farro Salad

The most beautiful jeweled farro salad! Roasted butternut squash, pomegranate arils, mint, parsley, feta and nutty farro. Make this one for the holiday table!

I think it goes without saying that this salad would make the perfect addition to any holiday table, but I’ll say it just in case. The colors alone make it a colorful choice: bright pomegranate arils and bright green mint plus lots of gorgeous roasted squash.

Incredibly flavorful, this jeweled farro salad is one of my favorite side dishes to make this time of year and one I plan on serving at Thanksgiving this year. See below for more details, or head to the full recipe below.

Why I love this recipe

This time of year, I love just about any salad that doesn’t have lettuce as a first ingredient. In the summer months, I’m down with any kind of fresh salad green but when temperatures drop below 40, I want something heartier. Packed with roasted vegetables, seeds/nuts, grains, and perhaps a little bit of cheese.

This combination is perfect as a light dinner, side dish or lunch. Bonus points is that sans lettuce, I can usually keep a batch in the fridge to snack on throughout the week.

Farro is one of my favorite whole grains and I have quite a bit of farro salads here, and this one has pistachios and pomegranate seeds for color, plus lots of fresh mint to balance out the richness of the squash and feta.

Ingredient Notes

• Farro: You can grab farro at most grocery stores, or even online. Trader Joe’s also sells a 10-minute farro that’s great for quickly cooking farro. You’ll just want to make sure that it’s cool or room temperature before mixing with the vegetables.
• Pomegranate Arils: These add in such a beautiful color to the salad, texture and a pop of sweetness. I highly recommend buying a few pomegranate and removing the arils yourself and buying the arils in a container typically lack flavor (and are often too ripe!)
• Mint and Parsley: I love the combination of mint in most of my salads; it’s one of the key flavors in my Thai Larb Lettuce Wraps; you’ll want both but if you can only find one, then I recommend the mint.
• Roasted Squash: This is what makes this jeweled farro salad one for the holiday table! Butternut squash is my go-to for this salad, but if you can find honeynut then use it. Honeynut squash is smaller than butternut squash and more concentrated in flavor and sweetness.
• Pistachios: I love a little chopped nut or seeds in many of my salads, and pistachios add a pretty green color and nice texture.
• Feta: You can omit the feta if you want to enjoy this one as a dairy-free option, but I think the creamy feta almost melts into the farro and squash and is so yummy.

How to Make

Step 1: Roast the Squash

Toss the butternut squash with oil, salt, pepper, sage and the chopped shallot, making sure to rub the squash with the oil and seasonings.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Step 2: Cook the Farro

Cook the farro according to package directions, then rinse and let cool slightly. Set aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Step 3: Prep the Rest of the Ingredients

Remove the arils from the pomegranate, chop the mint, chop the parsley and chop the pistachios. Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice and dijon mustard until creamy, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until an emulsion forms.

Step 4: Assemble

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked farro, squash, pomegranate arils, mint, parsley, pistachios and lemon dressing. Taste, seasoning as needed, then serve.

How to cook farro

If you haven’t had farro before, this jeweled farro salad is the perfect introductory recipe. Similar to wheat berries and couscous, it has a nutty, hearty flavor that stands up perfectly to the other ingredients. I usually buy mine in the bulk bin of Whole Foods or the Co-op, but you can sometimes find it in the grain section of the grocery store. If all else fails, Amazon works.

I have a whole tutorial on my Mediterranean Farro Salad post on choosing the right type of farro and how to cook it, but the cliff notes are below.

Because of possible label confusion on which type you are getting, I recommend going by the package directions for cook times or by taste– when farro is done, it’s done. The farro that I buy from Bob’s Red Mill takes 30 minutes to cook, but the one from Trader Joe’s takes 10.

If you are lucky enough to find actual whole farro, you’ll have better success if you soak it overnight first, like beans, before cooking. To cook, rinse farro then place in a medium sized pot along with cooking liquid of choice, like water or broth.

For this recipe, you’ll use roughly 1 cup of uncooked farro and 3 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat , cover and simmer until tender and chewy. The cooking time depends on what type of farro you are using: pearled typically takes 15 minutes while semi pearled takes 25-30.

Once you buy it, you’ll find yourself eating it over and over again. At least that’s true if you’re anything like me. In my pre-baby days, I would cook a large batch on the weekends to add to salads and grain bowls throughout the week.

More Healthy Farro Salad Recipes

• Mediterranean Farro Salad
• Sweet Cherry and Farro Salad
• Blueberry Farro Salad
• Grilled Corn and Basil Farro Salad
• Warm Farro and Kale Salad
• Summer Farro Salad
• Farro and Citrus Salad

If you try this Jeweled Farro Salad recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!