Name: Summer Farro Salad with Corn
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup farro (dry), rinsed; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar); 2 tsps honey; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 3/4 tsp kosher salt; 4-5 small radishes, sliced thin on a mandolin; 2 ears of corn, husked; 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts; 6 ozs (1 1/2 cups) halved cherry tomatoes; crumbled feta, for garnish; fresh mint and/or basil, for garnish; flaky salt

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Farro is one of my favourite grains to use, it’s chewy texture lends itself very well to so many dishes. And it’s perfect in this summer farro salad with feta and quick pickled radish. Plus, this makes a great make-ahead meal to take with you on a picnic, to the park or on-the-go. In fact, the longer it sits, the better it gets!

If you love a farro salad, be sure to check these ones out:

Farro salad with sweet potato and parmesan (otherwise known as the Charlie Bird farro salad – you’ll see why).
Farro risotto with mushrooms and lentils
Stuffed honeynut squash with farro and mushrooms

This recipe is only slightly adapted from the wonderfully talented Molly Baz. Her cookbook “Cook This Book” is so inspiring and after making this salad the frist time, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s perfect as-is, so I’ve only tweaked it slightly to suit my tastes and to add a few more summer veggies. Be sure to check out her cookbook!

Why You’ll Love This Summer Farro Salad

So much texture in this salad with lots of crunch from the corn and toasted hazelnuts.
Easy to make.
Perfect for making ahead of time, or for a potluck or picnic.
Major flavour with minimal ingredients.
Light and fresh tasting = perfect for the summer time.

Ingredients

farro (dry)
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
honey
dijon mustard
kosher salt
radishes
corn
raw hazelnuts
cherry tomatoes
feta cheese
fresh mint and/or basil
flaky salt

How to Cook Farro

Making farro is super simple to cook and you can cook it just like pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Then add the farro and cook until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, taste to determine when its done, it shouldn’t be mushy.

Once done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water and set aside until ready to use.

Because this is a summer farro salad, we want the ingredients to be cold or at least room temperature if enjoying right away, so be sure to rinse with cold water.

How to Make this Summer Farro Salad

In a medium sized bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and salt and mix well. Add the sliced radish to the bowl with the dressing and let it sit while you prepare the rest, about 15 minutes or so.

While the farro is cooking, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a small drizzle of avocado oil. Once hot, place the corn in the skillet and cook until charred all over, rotating every few minutes. This will take about ten minutes. Once cooled, remove the corn from the cob with a knife and add to the bowl with the farro.

In the same skillet, toast the hazelnuts over medium-low heat until fragrant and toasty, about four to five minutes. Remove and set aside.

Pour the radish and the dressing into the bowl with the farro and toss to combine. Add the hazelnuts, tomatoes and feta and toss again to combine. Garnish with fresh herbs, flaky salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Tips

To make this summer farro salad the best ever, be sure to take note of these tips.

Salt the water: when cooking farro, salt the water similar to how you would when making pasta.
Wait to add the herbs: add them before serving, otherwise they will wilt and blacken and they just don’t look as pretty that way.
Flaky salt: I definitely have a salty tooth, so I don’t always recommend flaky salt for everything because I know not everyone’s tastebuds are like mine. But, for this recipe, it really tastes better with some flaky salt on top. If you have it, be sure to add some before serving. This is the brand I use.
Make ahead: this is one of those salads that gets better over time, so feel free to make it and let it sit for a few hours or a day in advance. Just don’t add the fresh herbs in until you’re ready to eat.

Substitutions

Gluten-free: you can try this with wild rice, short grain brown rice or sorghum. Quinoa isn’t my favourite which is why I don’t use it much, and I think it would be too light for this salad.
Dairy-free: omit the feta, or use a plant-based feta.
Hazelnuts: use toasted almonds or walnuts instead.

Storing leftovers

This summer farro salad with feta will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to four days.

More Salad Recipes

If you love a good salad, be sure to check these out!

Ready to make this delicious summer farro salad? Let’s go!

If you make this summer farro salad with corn and feta, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram, or leave a comment and/or review below!

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