Farro Salad

Thanks to the Michigan Cherry Committee for sponsoring this post!

Cold and Refreshing Farro Salad

This is my idea of the best farro salad! Made with an abundance of fresh ingredients, a nice blend of textures and a delicious balance of flavors. It’s sure to be the highlight of any meal! It’s savory, sweet, tangy, tart, vibrant, perfectly simple and yet it’s a salad you’ll remember. The star of the salad is not only the farro but also the Montmorency dried cherries. You’ll love their concentrated, unique, and exciting flavor and chewy texture. They make for a great snack, a delicious salad topping, and are so tasty mixed into oatmeal or baked goods.

Farro Salad Video

A few benefits and details about Montmorency Tart Cherries:

Did you know Michigan Montmorency tart cherries are a natural food source of melatonin? Studies have shown that consumption of tart cherry juice can prevent insomnia and improve the quality and duration of sleep. They are a heart healthy fruit. Studies indicate that they may help lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and reduce inflammation. They may help naturally reduce inflammation related to arthritis and gout. You can find them available year round in dried, frozen, canned or juice form. By choosing these you are supporting locally American-grown fruit (75% of these cherries are grown in Michigan, the other 25% elsewhere in the U.S.). When purchasing your Montmorency cherries, look for “U.S. Grown” or “Product of the U.S.A” to make sure you are getting real U.S. Montmorency tart cherries” Imported tart cherries are boxed in shipping containers and may travel more than 5,000 miles before reaching your grocery store. Michigan Montmorency cherries go from a U.S. farm to your local grocery store (See photo referral below for a comparable, the cherries above are Michigan Montmorency while the cherries below are imported). They are also available in a sweetened variety which is what I opted to use here since we’ve already used a tart dressing.

You’ll love these deeply colored, juicy jewels as the perfect finishing touch to this full flavored salad!

Farro Salad Recipe Ingredients

1 cup dry farro 1/2 cup orange juice + 1 Tbsp orange zest 3/4 tsp salt, divided, and black pepper to taste 3 oz. baby kale, chop into bite size pieces if leaves are larger 1/2 cup dried Montmorency cherries (sweetened variety), roughly chopped 1 large peach, diced 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped 1/3 cup chopped red onion 1/3 cup olive oil 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp honey 1 tsp dijon mustard

How to Make Farro Salad

Helpful Tips

Monitor liquid level when cooking farro, you may need to add a little more water. Be sure to let the farro cool completely so it doesn’t cook the kale. I even prefer it completely cold so it’s more refreshing. Use good quality in-season peaches that have a sweet flavor and semi-firm texture (not mushy). Don’t try to sub frozen and thawed fruit. Serve shortly after adding the dressing. This is because the kale will start to wilt shortly after.

Possible Substitutes

Baby spinach for baby kale. Apples for peaches. Pecans or slivered almonds for walnuts. Goat cheese for feta. Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar. Maple syrup for honey.