Apple Walnut Farro Salad

Finding a fresh, hearty salad that actually fills you up and tastes good beyond the summer months can feel impossible. Most salads just don’t cut it when the weather cools down and you’re craving something more substantial than lettuce and tomatoes, and it’s even harder to find one that works as a main dish or a crowd-pleasing side.

Thankfully, this farro salad hits all the right notes: it’s satisfying and packed with texture, works perfectly for meal prep or gatherings, and brings together fall flavors like apple, dates, and toasted walnuts in a way that feels both comforting and light.

What Kind of Farro Should I Use?

You’ll find three main types of farro at the store: whole, semi-pearled, and pearled. Whole farro has the most fiber and nutrients but takes the longest to cook (around 40-50 minutes), while pearled farro cooks the fastest (about 15-20 minutes) since the bran has been removed. Semi-pearled is the happy middle ground and what you’ll find most often at grocery stores – it cooks in about 25-30 minutes and still retains good nutritional value. Any of these will work great for this salad, just adjust your cooking time accordingly and make sure you end up with 3 cups of cooked farro.

Options for Substitutions

This salad is really forgiving when it comes to swaps – here are some easy substitutions you can make:

• Farro: If you can’t find farro, try using barley, wheat berries, or even quinoa for a gluten-free option. Cook according to package directions and let cool before tossing into the salad.
• Arugula and radicchio: Not a fan of bitter greens? Swap the arugula for baby spinach and the radicchio for red cabbage. You’ll still get that nice color and crunch without the sharp bite.
• Honeycrisp apple: Any crisp, sweet-tart apple works here – try Fuji, Gala, or Granny Smith. Just pick one that won’t turn mushy and brown too quickly.
• Medjool dates: Dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or golden raisins make great substitutes. They’ll give you that sweet, chewy element the salad needs.
• Walnuts: Pecans, almonds, or even pumpkin seeds work well if you need to switch things up or have nut allergies to consider.
• Pecorino cheese: Parmesan is the closest swap since they’re both salty and sharp. For a milder option, try shaved Asiago or even crumbled feta.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when cooking farro is not rinsing it before boiling, which can leave your grains with a slightly bitter taste – a quick rinse under cold water makes a real difference.

Undercooking farro is another common issue that leaves it too chewy and hard to enjoy, so make sure to cook it until tender but still slightly firm, which usually takes about 25-30 minutes depending on whether you’re using pearled or semi-pearled farro.

To keep your salad from getting soggy, wait until just before serving to add the dressing and toss everything together, and if you’re making it ahead, store the dressed farro separately from the greens.

One more tip: toast your walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes before adding them to the salad, as this brings out their flavor and adds a nice crunch that really makes the dish pop.

What to Serve With Farro Salad?

This farro salad is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but it also makes a great side dish for grilled chicken or salmon. The nutty farro and sweet apples pair really well with roasted pork tenderloin or even a simple rotisserie chicken from the store. If you want to keep things vegetarian, serve it alongside some white bean soup or a frittata for a complete lunch or dinner. You can also pack it up for meal prep – it actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a day as the flavors blend together.

Storage Instructions

Store: This farro salad keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I actually think it tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to mingle. Just keep the dressing separate if you’re meal prepping, and toss it together right before eating to keep everything crisp.

Make Ahead: You can cook the farro up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge. Chop your veggies and prep the dressing ahead too, but wait to slice the apple and toss everything together until you’re ready to serve. The apples will brown if you cut them too early, and the greens can get a bit wilted if dressed too far ahead.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 950-1100
• Protein: 28-34 g
• Fat: 36-44 g
• Carbohydrates: 120-140 g

Ingredients

For the salad base:

• 3 cups pearled farro (cooked)
• 1 1/2 cups arugula
• 1 cup radicchio, thinly sliced
• 1 crisp apple, sliced into 1-inch matchsticks
• 5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup shaved pecorino cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp lemon zest

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup apple cider dressing
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Step 1: Prepare and Toast the Walnuts

• 2/3 cup walnuts

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly browned.

This brings out their deep, buttery flavor and adds a crucial textural contrast to the salad.

Transfer to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Fresh Ingredients

• 1 crisp apple
• 1 cup radicchio
• 5 Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup shaved pecorino cheese

While the walnuts cool, prep all your vegetables and aromatics.

Slice the apple into 1-inch matchsticks (doing this just before assembly prevents browning), thinly slice the radicchio, chop the dates, roughly chop the parsley, and measure out the fresh thyme leaves.

I like to prepare the apple last and keep it separate until the very end to prevent oxidation.

Shave the pecorino cheese and zest the lemon into a small bowl.

Step 3: Combine the Salad Base

• 3 cups pearled farro
• 1 1/2 cups arugula
• radicchio, dates, parsley, and thyme from Step 2
• toasted walnuts from Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the cooked farro, arugula, and the prepped vegetables from Step 2 (radicchio, dates, parsley, thyme).

Add the toasted walnuts from Step 1 and toss gently to distribute everything evenly.

The farro should be at room temperature or slightly warm—this helps it absorb the dressing flavors better.

Step 4: Dress and Season

• 1/3 cup apple cider dressing
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pour the apple cider dressing over the farro mixture and drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Gently toss everything together until the dressing coats all the ingredients evenly.

I find that tossing with two wooden spoons is gentler on the greens and prevents them from bruising.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

• apple matchsticks from Step 2
• lemon zest from Step 2
• shaved pecorino cheese from Step 2

Fold in the apple matchsticks, lemon zest, and shaved pecorino cheese just before serving.

This final assembly keeps the apple crisp and prevents the delicate cheese from wilting into the warm farro.

Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and serve immediately.

Apple Walnut Farro Salad

Delicious Apple Walnut Farro Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 1025

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the salad base

• 3 cups pearled farro (cooked)
• 1 1/2 cups arugula
• 1 cup radicchio, thinly sliced
• 1 crisp apple, sliced into 1-inch matchsticks
• 5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup shaved pecorino cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp lemon zest

For the dressing

• 1/3 cup apple cider dressing
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

 

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly browned. This brings out their deep, buttery flavor and adds a crucial textural contrast to the salad. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
2. While the walnuts cool, prep all your vegetables and aromatics. Slice the apple into 1-inch matchsticks (doing this just before assembly prevents browning), thinly slice the radicchio, chop the dates, roughly chop the parsley, and measure out the fresh thyme leaves. I like to prepare the apple last and keep it separate until the very end to prevent oxidation. Shave the pecorino cheese and zest the lemon into a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked farro, arugula, and the prepped vegetables from Step 2 (radicchio, dates, parsley, thyme). Add the toasted walnuts from Step 1 and toss gently to distribute everything evenly. The farro should be at room temperature or slightly warm—this helps it absorb the dressing flavors better.
4. Pour the apple cider dressing over the farro mixture and drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Gently toss everything together until the dressing coats all the ingredients evenly. I find that tossing with two wooden spoons is gentler on the greens and prevents them from bruising.
5. Fold in the apple matchsticks, lemon zest, and shaved pecorino cheese just before serving. This final assembly keeps the apple crisp and prevents the delicate cheese from wilting into the warm farro. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and serve immediately.