Does the word “salad” sometimes bum you out? If the answer is yes, I completely get you, my friend. Because while I luuurve a good salad and especially love making them, sometimes I want something that feels a little more substantial. Something like this super easy, light but satisfying cold farro salad with citrus dressing.
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email and we'll send it right to you!
I love serving this citrus farro salad on the side of some grilled chicken or a pork roast. Sometimes I top it with a batch of my always juicy chicken breasts and serve the whole thing as a main course.
BTW, if you are fond of farro, try my farro with asparagus and peas (bonus: it has burrata). It eats more like a pasta as does this roasted veggie farro side dish.
This post contains links to affiliate websites including Amazon. I make a small commission for any purchases made using these links. Thank you!
How to pronounce “farro”
Before we launch into the recipe, we should probably discuss how to pronounce the word “farro.” Is it “far-ro”? Or is it “fair-o”? FYI -I typically say the latter so conjure that up in your head when you read this. Chances are you don’t care-o?
Before you get started
You can cook farro a few ways but first, make sure to understand what kind you have. Whole grain, hull on farro takes about 30 minutes to cook, while the pearled version (similar to the Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro – my favorite that I’m using here) cooks up super-fast.
Check the package ingredient list for more info!
How to cook farro in 10 minutes
I tested 3 (of the 5) different ways to cook farro but found that boiling it in liquid (like pasta) produced the best chewy, texture for this salad.
Preferred method: cook farro like pasta
- Substitute chicken broth (or vegetable) for water.
- Add the farro and cook for 10 minutes.
- Drain
Other ways to cook farro
- Simmer as you would rice, allowing the farro to absorb all the broth.
- Cook as you would risotto – toasting and adding broth a little at a time.
- In your Instant Pot or pressure cooker (takes about 10 minutes as well)
- Speedy Farro Cooking Method (courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill).
- Soak farro in water overnight in the fridge. The next day, add approximately 3 cups of water to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and use as needed. Simple!!
Ok – enough farro schooling. We need to eat!
Assembling farro salad
Tips
For a crowd: Make a double or triple batch of the salad and at least double the dressing for a buffet table.
For a few: Make the recipe as described and you’ll have enough for lunches the next day or two. Serve with chicken for a main course.
Made this recipe?
I’d love it if you’d share your review and leave a star rating and comment!
Cold Farro Side Salad with Mandarin Oranges
SAVE THIS RECIPE
Enter your email and we'll send it right to you!
Ingredients
For the farro:
For the dressing:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 4 T white vinegar
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 T mandarin orange juice, drained from the can
For the salad
- 2 cans mandarin oranges, 11 oz each, keep the liquid from one can
- ¾ cup diced celery, 3 stalks washed and trimmed
- ½ cup chopped green onions, approx 7 green onions, washed and trimmed
- 1 cup fresh parsley, minced
- ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted, if available
Instructions
- Bring broth and water to boil in a medium saucepan. Season with salt. Add the farro and stir. Cook farro according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool completely.2 cups farro, 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 2 cups water, 1 1/2 tsp salt
- In a glass measuring cup or mason jar, combine dressing ingredients and shake to blend completely.1 cup olive oil, 4 T white vinegar, 2 tsp sriracha, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 4 T mandarin orange juice
- In a wide serving dish, add cooled farro and top with the remaining ingredients except reserve some of the oranges, almonds and parsley to use as a garnish on top.2 cans mandarin oranges, 3/4 cup diced celery, 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 1 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- Toss with dressing. Garnish with additional toppings.
Notes
- For a party, many times I leave the nuts out and serve them on the side for guests to choose to add them if desired.
- Trader Joe’s has unsalted, toasted sliced almonds that work beautifully in this recipe.
- Salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead option:
- Can be made up to 2 days ahead without the celery and almonds. Add those the day you plan to serve to keep them crisp.
- Toss everything together ahead of time, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup of dressing to toss the salad with before serving.
What a wonderful recipe!!! This farro And Orange Salad was so tasty and full of favor.
So glad you enjoyed it Stephanie! 😊 Thank you for trying it! Be safe and well – Lori
Love adding mandarin oranges to salads and the combo of ingredients of this salad sound and look so yummy! Pinning to make later!
Thanks so much, Ana! Gotta love those bright spots of sunshine. I love the whole sweet/sour thing in this dressing♥️
Love me a tangy, sweet dressing! This recipe sounds delicious. Pinning it for later!
Thanks my friend! I love the contrast of a little heat and sweet!
Love this recipe! I made it tonight and my husband LOVED it, saying it was delicious and unlike any other salad he has had before. I made it as written except– I used fresh clementines and their juice in place of the canned mandarins–because it’s all I had and I toasted the almonds for an extra nutty punch. This recipe is a keeper!
Thanks Katherine! Love the use of the clementines and definitely toast the almonds. I think when I first created the recipe originally for a wedding shower, I used Trader Joe’s toasted almonds (and def shld have added that in). Thank you for the memory jog – I am updating the recipe right now 😀. So happy you and your husband enjoyed it!! Stay well!
Hi Lori! My son’s girlfriend is a vegetarian and I’m always looking for mains for when they come for dinner. I’m assuming that I can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth here. Have you tried that? Hoping it will be just as delicious!
Hi Erica! You can most definitely use vegetable broth! I will update the recipe to reflect that for sure. And thank you for the great suggestion.🤗If you make the recipe, please let me know how you like it!