A powerhouse of superfood and fiber, Farro Kale and Olive Salad is easy to make and full of texture! Creamy, crunchy, and chewy with notes of citrus. Make ahead for several days of a ready-made lunch. This recipe is vegetarian, optionally vegan and gluten free.
Greetings loves. I hope this finds you well and your week hummin along… smoothly. It’s almost the weekend! The only downside to this weekend is Daylight Savings.
Why a downside?
We’re going to lose a whole hour of luxurious sleep. Or luxurious happy hour… however you look at it. Which one would you rather give up?
More citrus? Why yes. Even if it’s in the vinaigrette. Gotta get it in there somehow.
Let’s talk farro, shall we? I’m stepping out of my regular brown rice box in an effort to try some new (to me) grains. I recently discovered farro and am excited to share with you what I’ve learned.
It’s delicious in salads, soups, stews, and can be subbed for brown rice in any dish. It’s an ancient whole grain prized for it’s earthy, nutty flavor and chewy texture. Some say all other wheat varieties are from farro, the original ancestor.
Farro is high in fiber, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, and protein. As a bonus, it’s easy to digest.
Farro is similar to wheat berries, but wheat berries are chewier and take longer to cook. Totally worth it. Wheat berries are much more economical than farro, however, at $.03/oz versus $.29/oz (woah, I know!). If you can find farro in bulk, the price is more reasonable, yet still expensive. I’ve made this recipe with both and love them just the same.
This Garbanzo Summer Salad with creamy dill dressing is made with wheat berries. Pin it or bookmark it because it will be in season soon. It’s one of my favorites on Vanilla And Bean.
Farro Kale and Olive Salad can hang out in the fridge for up to 3 days after it’s made. It’s sturdy, and the flavors get better with an overnight rest in the fridge. This salad is a flavorful side or a delicious lunch and would be a welcome addition to any potluck.
I sometimes grab a small bowl for a late afternoon snack; you know, that 3:00 time frame? I’m hangry!
Have you tried farro? If so, what is your favorite way to use it?
the recipe
Farro, Kale and Olive Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 C (210g) Farro or Wheat Berries (look for hard winter wheat berries) *See Note for GF Option
- 4 C (860g) Water add 1 C (215) more water if using wheat berries (add more water if needed to keep the grains covered)
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 3/4 C (85g) Walnuts
- 6 oz (170g) Green or Black Olives 1 can, drained and pitted (I buy pre-pitted)
- 1/4 C Flat Leaf Parsley rough chopped
- 1 Bunch of Lacinato Kale about 15 stems
- 1/2 C Feta crumbled or diced (optional)
- Ground Pepper to taste
For the Dressing:
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil I use California Olive Ranch
- 1 tsp Small Orange zested, about 1
- 2 Tbs Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice 1 small orange, I used a mandarine
- 1 tsp Lemon zested, about 1
- 1 Tbs Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice about 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tsp Stone Ground Mustard
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
For Garnish:
- Wedges of orange and lemon for squeezing over salad.
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Time for cooking either variety of grain can depend on age of grain. For Farro: rinse the farro under running water. In a 4-quart saucepan add the farro, 4 cups of water and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered. Test the farro, it should be tender, yet have a chewy texture. If needed, give them a little more time to cook. Drain off excess water through a strainer, then run cool water over the farro in a strainer. Strain well. Transfer into a large mixing bowl and cool in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes , stirring every 5 minutes or so as to cool it down quickly. For Wheat Berries: rinse the wheat berries under running water. In a 4 quart saucepan add the wheat berries, pour in add 4 C water and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 1 hour. Start checking the berries at about 40 minutes to see if they are as soft as you prefer. If not, keep them cooking another 15-20 minutes.Pour off excess water through a strainer, then run cool water over the wheat berries in a strainer. Strain well. Transfer into a large mixing bowl and cool in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so as to cool it down quickly.
- Toast walnuts in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cool then rough chop. Add to mixing bowl with farro or wheat berries.
- Slice the green olives in quarters and add to mixing bowl along with the chopped parsley.
- Destem the kale by removing the ribs. Roll all the leaves together and chiffonade into thin 1/4" ribbons. Place the kale in a large bowl (separate from the other ingredients), pour 2 Tbs of dressing (see below) over the kale, set a timer for 2 minutes, and massage the kale. This technique tenderizes the leaves. Add to the mixing bowl with all the other ingredients.
- Add the feta to the mixing bowl.
- Combine all the ingredients, mixing throughly, adding dressing every few stirs until all the ingredients are throughly mixed. Taste for seasoning adjustment.
- Set a bowl of orange and lemon wedges along side the salad for juicing to enjoy extra citrus flavor.
- Store in a lidded container for up to three days.
For the Dressing:
- Add olive oil, zest, orange and lemon juice, mustard and salt to a small jar, lid and shake until emulsified.
Notes
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
That dish looks so tasty! delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Loving this recipe Traci! And I’m all over citrus. Limes, Lemons, and Oranges are my friends! I also like the use of olives too….because you get that gentle bite of saltiness…which is really nice. :)
Oh yeah, Michelle. The olives do give a punch of saltiness among the citrusy flavors.. a nice pop of flavor! :D
Absolutely delicious. I want to eat it off of the screen! I’m still getting over daylight savings.. I don’t know why it’s hit me so hard this year! Maybe I should make this farro salad as a pick me up :)
Thank you, Sarah! Yeah, the evenings are longer, but I’m still feeling the one hour loss, coupled with the Bachelor finale Monday night… a late night.. I’m hoping to catch up this weekend! :D
My girlfriend was just telling me she was in need of a farro recipe and this looks lovely! Will have to send it her way!! ;)
Oh Alison, thank you for sharing! :D
Traci, you just gotta move to Arizona and then you won’t have to deal with daylight savings time!! Unfortunately, my computer doesn’t know that it is in AZ though because it magically changed times this morning and sent me into a spiral of confusion! I LOVE olives and this salad looks awesome!! It has all my favorites in it and your photos are so bright and beautiful! Feta, olives, and lemon are the best :)
That would be nice…. although, I must say, I’m getting used to the longer evenings! :D Oh my your clock changed on you! That would totally throw me off too! Gah!! Thank you Izzy!!
Happy Monday! I had THE toughest time with daylight savings time this past weekend…still feel like I’m recovering… :-/
Anywho, this recipe is great – I LOVE farrow and the greens. Pics are amazing too. :) Hope you have a great rest of the week!
What a gorgeous salad, Traci! I absolutely love farro! That toasty, nutty flavor is so comforting! I always get confused between farro and spelt and kamut, but they are all delicious and I can not wait to try them in this gorgeous salad! Hapypy week to you! xo
Thank you Jodi! There are so many grains to choose from, it seems ‘new’ ones are showing up all the time. Next on my list is Freekeh! Hapypy week to you tooooo! :D
Yes this is a great flavour combo, I can imagine the longer it sits the better, lovely pics!
Ohhh yes, you are so right! Days after it is sooo good… I just finished it off this weekend! :D
Daylight savings has never made sense to me…
salad looks absolutely stunning !!!
Thank you Simi! :D
I hate day light savings! That 1 hour throws me off all week…crazy, but true.
I’ve never had farro before but I think I need to start with this dish because it looks deeeelicious!
I hear you, Tina! I’m already feeling that 1 hour loss! Go get some farro Tina!! You’ll love it! :D
Oh Gosh.. Traci… this salad looks divine! I love kale and olives!! Yummy! Hope you have a great weekend ;-)
Thank you Olivia! Kale and olives are classic! :D
I know turning the clocks will be worth it soon enough but it’s always so rough to lose an hour of sleep! This salad…all my favorite ingredients! Yum! Pinning.
Thank you Bri, and for your Pin! :D I have already been lovin the later sunlit evenings! :D It’s worth it, for sure!
Oh my goodness, Traci!!!!!!!!!! This looks amazing! <3 I love salads like this that make me feel like I'm back in the Mediterranean! The flavor combos in here sound absolutely delicious. I neeeeed to find myself some Farroo!!! Pinned :)
Hey Ceara, perhaps we can exchange farro for freekeh?! :D I love olives…they make me feel Mediterraneanish! Especially ones with pits, but I opted for pitless for the convenience. Thank you for your pin! :D
Happy Friday, Traci! I am a huge fan of farro and love how you’ve paired it with so many bright flavors. Farro definitely deserves more attention! I keep forgetting about the time change, but at least it means it will be lighter out later in the day now…I’ll take it :)
I just learned too that farro sustained legions of Romans! I can see why. It keeps me feeling fuller longer. I’ll take it! :D
I am loving all the healthy Vegetarian recipes you have posted recently Traci.. I made the winter jewelled salad a couple of nights ago (but changed it a little bit by using blood oranges) and loved it. This is another salad I am inspired to try!
Oh I bet the blood oranges were spectacularly delicious in the jeweled salad! So happy you enjoyed it Thalia! :D
Oh my gosh, I had completely forgot that it was daylight saving this weekend until I read this. Ugh. I would much rather the extra sleep. I can’t seem to get enough of it these days.
And I’m all about the citrus right now too so this salad looks heavenly to me! I love farro and the idea to make it with feta and olives. Sounds so tangy and delicious!
p.s. I just love your photography. It’s gorgeous! I also bought those same napkins from Crate & Barrel recently, hehe. :)
Sleep is wonderful, especially when one has the option of not setting the dreaded alarm clock!
Oh the napkins! Aren’t they great!? They are so unique and pretty. Love the simple, clean lines and light colors. I could get lost in Crate & Barrel! :D
I don’t like turning the clocks ahead either because it means the mornings are darker again! I’ve been loving how light it is by 7 am lately so I’ll be sad to see that go for now.
This salad looks wonderful though! Farro is actually one of the few grains I haven’t tried yet. I’ve thought about buying it, but I already have like 20 other kinds of grains in my pantry so I figured I should use some of them up first. I’d love to try this salad with brown rice though!
You must be an early riser? Yeah, IDK, I like it both ways, early and late sun. Summer is pretty incredible up here in the Pacific Northwest. The sun comes up around 4:45 and sets close to 10:00 at night! Pretty long days and perfect for days filled with summertime activities!
Oh, you’ve gotta give farro a go, Chelsea. You’d like it! But until you’ve whittled down your pantry staples, brown rice would be an excellent alternative. Try short grain for this salad! :D
simple yet sophisticated looking. nice!
Thank you Kelsey and for stopping by! :D
Hey friend! I am clearly not in the minority when I say how lovely your citrus dressing sounds! Such a bright and beautiful complement to the earthiness of this salad. And you may know feta and walnuts are a favorite combination of mine! Really, any cheese with walnuts! Incredible photos, once again! I apologize for my being redundant about this fact (and it is a fact!) I just can’t help myself!
Citrus is such a delight! I put it on/in just about anything while it’s in season. It’s just so refreshing.
Walnuts and feta – yes! They are sooo good together and are a nice complement of crunchy and creamy and just fit with olives.
No apology needed, Annie. I appreciate your feedback! Thank you, love. :D
TOTALLY had no idea daylight savings was this Sunday! Oh no, it’s one of my least favorite days of the year. But at least we’ll have more daylight! Which means I can actually get some food blogging done after work! I love this salad. The farro and kale and olives? Yum!
I know, slipped my mind too. I got an email from a friend reminding me! Yay for longer days though… more time to photograph! :D
Beautiful as always.. that dressing sounds amazzzzing
Thank you Alison! It’s soooo good! :D
Haha, daylight saving, I forgot about it…thanks for reminding me!
I really love farro, although I think I only tried it in salads. Your version is absolutely lovely too, I always love your citrusy dressings, I want to eat it now so badly! Kale, olives, feta, WALNUT!!! Seriously beautiful!
Btw you mentioned brown rice as a substitute. I’ve never tried something like that, but now I am intrigued – I’d also love some recipe ;)
Hey Evi, if you try brown rice, find the short grain. It has a chewier, sturdier texture than long grain. I think you’ll enjoy it! :D
Thank you for the reminder of Daylight Savings — I forgot all about it! Traci, your photos are luminous and those signature ingredient shots, just gorgeous. I will definitely do a pinning session on these lovelies. There is nothing about this salad that I don’t love – wholesome and nourishing – but my affection for olives runs long and deep so I am tickled to see their inclusion here. Apparently, I acquired a taste for olives before language ;-) asking for ‘little bits’ shortly after walking. I see we’ve gone from massaging kale to chiffonading it :D — debonair indeed.
It seems like we just had daylight savings! Blink! Thank you for your pins, Kelly!
Your parents had good taste if you’re eating olives before language, lol! So sweet.
You know, Kale must be handled like royalty! hehe! debonair indeed!
Wow, I had no idea that wheat berries were that much cheaper than farro! Faorro sure is one of my favorite grains because I love its chewy texture. I toss it with some soy sauce, sesame oil, and vegetables, and it becomes such a delicious meal! Definitely need to try your version! Pinned!
Yeah, I didn’t know either until I ran out of Wheat Berries and 4 stores I went to, looking for them, didn’t have any. But, one store had farro. After looking at the price and throwing a small fit in the grocery isle, I bought a bag. I was happy to try it, but wow! The price is high. Next time I find wheat berries, I’ll load up! I love the idea of tossing farro with soy, sesame and veggies. Delicious! Thank you for your pin! :D
I simply love this combination of kale, walnuts and farro! … And the citrus-mustard combination of the dressing is just mouth-watering! Looking forward to trying it out myself! Thanks, Traci, for the wonderful recipe!
Thank you, Simone! Yeah, that citrus dressing is really nice. Mellow, yes, but it ads a nice note of citrus. I hope you enjoy it! (It’s so nice to see you here!) :D
I just love these kinds of salads, T. I think I have all the ingredients so will be trying this this weekend. I’ve never added orange to my dressing – I usually just add lemon but looking forward to switching it out with a bit of orange as well. Beautiful photos, Traci! PS: Just remember with the time change, to matter how hard it is to get up in the AM, you get more beautiful light later in the day!
Oooooh yeahhhh, Geraldine! My weekend just got better! I forgot about that one, small point! More time to shoot!! YaY! I hope you enjoy this salad, and discover how lovely a bit of orange in your vinaigrette can be! Thank you! <3
What an amazing looking salad! I love all the fresh ingredients used to make this tasty salad! Pinned :)
Thank you and for your pin, Christina! :D
I’m always looking for new kale recipes (I’m just going to make my morning smoothie with kale). Love the freshness and combination of flavors in this one! Pinned to try it! Beautiful and bright pictures Traci!
I know.. it’s like I stop eating carrots because I put em’ in my smoothie. What’s with that?! LOL! Thank you for your pin, Mira! I hope you enjoy it! :D
I love farro! I tend to do a pilaf and add toasted walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries or cherries, and some Roquefort. Oooh, how I would love to share a bowl with you and turn you loose with the camera to get your beautiful photos of that farro creation as well as this beautiful one!
Your pilaf sounds delicious! It would be fun to photograph it, too. I’d like to see you photograph it! :D
Traci! What a treasure this recipe is!! I was thinking this morning of kale and olives (I’m a big fan of olives!!).
I will have a great surprise for the family tonight. It’s ouyr family’s salad eve: -)
Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much La Torontoise! How funny you were thinking about kale and olives and look what showed up! You manifested it! LOVE THAT! :D I hope y’all enjoy the recipe! You too, have a fabulous weekend!