Nourishing, flavorful, and oh-so simple to make, this farro salad with strawberries and goat cheese is exactly what I crave at the end of a long hot summer’s day.
The combination of sweet strawberries, hydrating cucumbers, fresh herbs, and lime vinaigrette makes this salad so deliciously satisfying and refreshing. And, truth be told, you could leave it at that – a delicious strawberry and cucumber salad with fresh herbs. …mmmm…
But, because I wanted to create a salad that was a bit heartier, I decided to pair the strawberry cucumber mix with a bit of goat cheese and one of my favorite ancient grains, farro. The result did not disappoint.
Farro
Farro’s unique texture and flavor profile make this the perfect grain for this farro salad with strawberry and goat cheese. But, if you’re sensitive to gluten you can easily replace it with a gluten-free alternative such as quinoa or millet. (Tip: make sure to toast your millet before cooking it!).
New to cooking farro? Don’t let it intimate you! It’s truly such a tasty and easy-peasy grain to cook. Plus, in this recipe I keep it as simple as possible – you just gotta boil water. Similar to pasta, just fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and bring water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add farro. Bring water back to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. I usually use an 8:1 ratio for this recipe (8 cups of water for every 1 cup of farro) which usually takes about 35 minutes to cook.
Goat Cheese
As a Franco-American I have a hard time not incorporating cheese into my recipes, especially chèvre (goat cheese). But, I hear you, not everyone loves goat cheese or can tolerate cheese. If creamy goat cheese isn’t your thing, feta or pecorino romano make a great substitute in this salad. Or, if you’re allergic to dairy, omit cheese altogether.
PrintFarro Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese
Nourishing, flavorful, and oh-so simple to make, this farro salad with strawberries and goat cheese is exactly what I crave at the end of a long hot summer’s day.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearled farro (makes about 3 cups cooked)
- 1 lb (or 1 container) fresh strawberries, quartered
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 2–3 scallions, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- 2 oz plain goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, optional
Vinaigrette:
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt (I love using French Grey Salt (Sel de Guérande))
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the farro: In a large pot, bring about 8 cups of water to a boil. Note: It doesn’t need to be exactly 8 cups, the goal here is to make sure your farro is thoroughly submerged in liquid as it cooks. Once water is boiling, add 1-2 tsp of kosher salt and gently stir in rinsed farro. Bring water back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until soft and chewy, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a mesh strainer, drain out any excess water. Place farro in a large salad bowl and set aside to cool.
- Once farro is cool, add the quartered strawberries, diced cucumber, crumbled feta, fresh herbs, scallions, and if using, pumpkin seeds.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a separate bowl whisk together the lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Toss strawberries goat cheese and farro mix with lime dressing and enjoy!
Notes
- For this recipe I recommend cooking the farro 24 hrs ahead of time, i.e. the night before. This gives your farro plenty of time to cool down and cuts down on prep time when you’re short on time.
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