Farro Salad with Fennel and Oranges (Printable)

Nutty farro meets crisp fennel and juicy oranges in this Mediterranean bowl

# What you'll need:

→ Grains

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

→ Vegetables & Fruit

04 - 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
05 - 2 large oranges, peeled and segmented
06 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 2 cups mixed salad greens

→ Nuts & Seeds

08 - ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

→ Vinaigrette

09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
11 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - ½ teaspoon honey
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# Preparation steps:

01 - Rinse farro under cold water. Combine farro, 3 cups water, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until tender but chewy. Drain and let cool slightly.
02 - While farro cooks, toast sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - In a large salad bowl, combine cooled farro, sliced fennel, orange segments, red onion, and mixed salad greens. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine.
05 - Sprinkle toasted almonds and reserved fennel fronds on top. Serve immediately.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better the next day as flavors deepen, making it perfect for meal prep without any guilt.
  • The contrast between chewy farro, crisp fennel, and juicy orange keeps every bite interesting.
  • This is vegetarian but hearty enough to feel like a complete meal, not a side dish pretending to be dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step for the farro; it should be room temperature or slightly warm when it meets the dressing, or the contrast will feel off and the greens might wilt.
  • The difference between a vinaigrette that emulsifies and one that separates comes down to whisking in the mustard first; that's the secret nobody talks about until they've ruined three salads.
03 -
  • If you forget to cool the farro and the salad suddenly feels warm and wilted, place the entire salad bowl in an ice bath for five minutes; it's a trick that works more often than it should.
  • The fennel fronds aren't just decoration; they taste like anise and tie the whole dish together, so don't throw them away even if they feel like an afterthought.
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