If you’re looking for an easy side dish for a special occasion or simply a fall salad to enjoy with Sunday supper, this fall farro salad is just the thing! It combines hearty farro, sautéed kale, crisp apple, salty feta and savoury beet for one flavourful bite!
I love a good salad any time of year and I especially love to play with produce of the season. Cold weather veggies, like kale, grow wonderfully here in Newfoundland.
My parents actually grow kale in their garden so I had to nab some
They were happy to share! They were overflowing with the stuff. Other delicious in-season fall goodies are beets and apples so I used them here. This fall harvest salad turned out lovely and it’s now on repeat on our home.
To make this recipe, simply get your farro going first. Then, roast beets, gently cook kale and prep the other ingredients and vinaigrette.
After that, it’s simply a matter of tossing everything together and digging in. Easy!
Ingredients for Fall Farro Salad
- Farro (of course)
- Beets (get pre-cooked beets to save time, if you like)
- Kale
- Apple for a little sweetness
- Oil
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Fresh herbs
- Feta
- Seasonings
What Is Farro?
Farro is an ancient grain that tastes kinda nutty, a little chewy and totally delicious! So, if after cooking, the farro still has a little chew, that’s totally normal; it’s supposed to be that way!
Farro is also super hearty. It’s so hearty, that it’s very difficult to overcook, which is one of the reasons it works wonderfully in salads, soups, skillets and casseroles.
You can buy various versions of farro, either pearled, semi-pearled or whole.
All vary somewhat in flavour and cook time (with the whole variety having the nuttiest taste and longest cook time).
Whole farro is what I used in this fall farro salad. If you use another variety, you will have to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
Fan of farro recipes? Check out this recipe for farro with vegetables and veggie sausage!
How To Roast Beets
There are a few ways that you could prepare beets for roasting:
- If using whole, raw beets: Remove the green tops from the beets. Wash and scrub the beets clean, and then loosely wrap them in aluminum foil. Place them onto a sheet pan (to catch any juices as they bake). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the beets for about 75 minutes or until they’re tender when prodded with a fork or knife (the time may vary slightly depending on the size of your beets.
Note: Because cook time can vary depending on beet size, check on them at the 45-minute mark to see how they’re doing.
Carefully remove the aluminum foil (there will be steam). Allow the beets to cool a little until you can handle them. Then, peel and proceed with whatever recipe you’re using them in. - If using cut up, raw beets: Remove the green tops from the beets. Wash and scrub the beets clean. Peel them, cut into roughly 1-inch slices or chunks, and then toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and spices (if using). Bake the beets on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan for about 40 to 45 minutes (or until tender), stirring halfway through cooking.
- If using pre-cooked beets (as I did in this farro salad): I used whole, peeled and pre-cooked beets. Even though the beets were pre-cooked, for this farro salad I did toss them with olive oil and some salt and pepper, and then roasted them for a bit just to get a little caramelization.
How To Prepare Kale
Like mentioned, for this farro salad, I also sautéed a little kale. I washed thoroughly and then cut out the centre rib. You want to get rid of that rib.
It’s not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s just tough and takes longer to cook than the leaves themselves. Just cut it out and thinly slice the leaves into bite-sized pieces or ribbons.
I simply cooked the kale in a little olive oil for a few minutes until it softened a little.
Kale adds a lovely heartiness and tends to have a little more mouthfeel and texture than, say, spinach. Keep in mind that when you are using kale in recipes, you want bite-sized pieces. You don’t want big leaves of kale in this salad.
Can I Use Another Green Instead of Kale?
Absolutely! If you’d rather, sub with baby spinach or arugula.
Keep in mind that they may wilt a little more than what kale would, but it will still taste delicious!
Tips and Variations
- As mentioned above, I used pre-cooked beets in this recipe. If you are using raw, they will take longer to prepare.
- I used whole farro here so my cooking time was about 30 to 40 minutes. If you use pre-cooked farro (or another variety), cooking time will be reduced considerably.
- Though I didn’t use them here, walnuts would make a lovely addition in this farro salad.
- Want to use something aside from apples? Diced pear would work great too.
More Fall Recipes
If you make this fall farro salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Fall Farro Salad
Ingredients
Farro Salad
- 1 cup whole farro
- 1 pound cooked beets, cut into bite-sized chunks (I used a pre-cooked package of beets and just roasted a bit to warm through)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 cups chopped kale (bite-sized pieces, leaves only, no stems)
- 1.5 cups diced apple, about 1 to 2 apples (depending on their size)
- ¾ cup feta cheese, cut into small cubes
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon minced chives
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the farro: Rinse and drain farro with cold water through a fine mesh sieve. Then cook according to package instructions, drain, and cool slightly. (Typically for one cup of farro, use 3 cups or so of water (or broth). Place water, a pinch of salt and farro into a saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the farro has softened through. If there is any excess water after cooking simply drain. Fluff farro with a fork. You can add a little butter at this point too, which is totally optional).Note: I used whole farro (which has the longest cooking time). If you use another variety, your cooking time will be reduced. You can always cook according to package instructions, should you wish.
- Roast the beets (you can do this while the farro is cooking): Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, toss beets with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Spread cubes of beets onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and let cool. Note: I used pre-cooked beets so my cooking time was reduced.
- Cook the kale: Heat remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to wilt, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Make the vinaigrette: Place olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, chives, thyme, salt and black pepper into a small jar, cover and shake to combine.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine farro, beets, kale, apple, feta and vinaigrette. Stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- As mentioned above, I used pre-cooked beets in this recipe. If you are using raw, they will take longer to prepare.
- As the salad sits, the colour of the beets may bleed into other ingredients, particularly the feta. Not a big deal, though.
- I used whole farro here so my cooking time was about 30 to 40 minutes. If you use pre-cooked farro (or another variety), cooking time will be reduced considerably.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
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Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Barbara says
I love this salad. I make it with roasted butternut squash instead of beats!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you so much, Barbara! Roasted butternut squash sounds like a delicious twist!
Lindi says
Hi there, should this salad be served warm? I cooked the farro, beets and kale before hand so should I heat them up again before I put the salad together?
Girl Heart Food says
Hi Lindi, I actually served this salad cold and it was delicious. You can certainly prep everything in advance and toss with the vinaigrette when serving 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
mimi rippee says
I love every ingredient in this salad. And to me, citrus dressings are best with grain-based salads. So this is perfect. Love that actually roasted the beets as well… many people “roast” beets in foil with their peels on.
Girl Heart Food says
Thanks a bunch, Mimi 🙂 So happy you like this one! Have a wonderful week!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
I adore this salad Dawn! I’m like you and love a good salad year round! While summer berry salads are awesome, I love a hearty fall salad. That’s probably because local produce in Newfoundland is best in the fall. So loading up salads with local kale, beets and apples is a must! I’m pinning this to try real soon! Hope you’re having a fabulous weekend!
Girl Heart Food says
Thanks a million, Leanne!! Hope you love it…and have a wonderful week too 🙂
Marissa says
So many flavors and textures I love dancing together in one beautiful bowl! This is the ultimate fall salad, Dawn. Just PERFECT!
Girl Heart Food says
Thanks so much, Marissa! Love your description 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend, Marissa.