Citrus Herb Farro Cucumber Salad (Printable Version)

Nutty farro meets crisp cucumber, juicy citrus, and fresh herbs in this Mediterranean-inspired dish

# Ingredient List:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup uncooked farro
02 - 3 cups water
03 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables & Herbs

04 - 1 large English cucumber, diced
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
07 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

→ Citrus

10 - 1 orange, segmented and cut into bite-sized pieces
11 - 1 lemon, juiced
12 - Zest of ½ lemon

→ Dressing

13 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
15 - 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
16 - ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Rinse farro under cold running water. Combine farro, 3 cups water, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes until grains are tender but still have a slight chew. Drain excess liquid through a fine mesh strainer and spread farro on a sheet pan to cool to room temperature.
02 - While the farro cools, dice the English cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, and finely dice the red onion. Segment the orange and cut each segment into bite-sized pieces. Chop the fresh parsley, mint, and dill.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled farro, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, red onion, orange segments, parsley, mint, and dill. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and a pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper until the dressing is emulsified and smooth.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat every component. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve cold or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The nutty chew of farro against juicy citrus and snappy cucumber is the kind of texture contrast that makes you go back for a third forkful without thinking.
  • Everything comes together in one bowl with zero fancy technique, which means less dishes and more time sitting outside with a cold drink.
  • It stores beautifully overnight, making it the rare salad that tastes even better the next day for lunch.
02 -
  • Farro continues absorbing liquid as it sits, so if you are making this a day ahead, hold back a quarter of the dressing and toss it in right before serving to wake everything up.
  • Segmenting an orange over a bowl catches all the juice, and that juice is liquid gold that should go straight into your dressing.
03 -
  • Cook the farro a day ahead and spread it on a sheet pan to cool quickly, because warm farro will wilt your herbs and soften your cucumber before you even serve it.
  • Taste your orange before adding it to the salad, since a dry or sour orange will drag the whole dish down, and use the sweetest one you can find.

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