Farro Salad Fennel Oranges Almonds (Printable Version)

Nutty farro meets crisp fennel, juicy oranges, and toasted almonds in a bright citrus dressing for a refreshing Mediterranean dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grain

01 - 1 cup uncooked whole grain farro
02 - 3 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Produce

04 - 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced with fronds reserved for garnish
05 - 2 large oranges, peeled and segmented
06 - 2 cups arugula or baby spinach
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

→ Nuts

08 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
11 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Method:

01 - Rinse farro under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine farro, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes until tender with a slight chew. Drain excess water and allow to cool.
02 - While farro cooks, toast sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooled farro, sliced fennel, orange segments, arugula or spinach, and parsley.
04 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well emulsified.
05 - Pour vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Add toasted almonds and toss lightly. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve immediately or chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes light but genuinely fills you up, thanks to the nutty chewiness of farro that keeps things grounded.
  • The fennel and orange thing seems fancy but it's really just nature doing the heavy lifting for you.
  • You can make it hours ahead and it actually improves as the flavors get cozy with each other.
02 -
  • Farro needs to cool completely before dressing or the warmth will wilt your greens into submission—patience here pays off.
  • This salad actually gets better after an hour or two as the grains absorb the dressing; don't panic if it looks wet at first.
03 -
  • Toast your almonds right before serving if you can; they stay crispest that way and won't surrender to the dressing.
  • Make the dressing first and let it sit for five minutes before tossing—the flavors meld and it coats better.
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