Photo taken by Alexandra Grant
A little history
I have been making this salad for at least six years. It began with my introduction to tabbouleh. I loved the taste and ingredients. It was wholesome, and I wanted my family to eat less processed food.
My entire family loved it. It’s hardy, has protein, good carbs, and a nice quantity of vegetables. The dressing can be as simple as you like or homemade. The ingredients can be doubled or halved just as easily.
Trust me when I say, everyone who tries it will want the recipe.
The ingredients I will list make a 9x13 deep-pan salad. It is best at room temperature and lasts longer than lettuce- or mayo-based salads, making it ideal for potlucks, barbecues, or church luncheons. From here on out, when you get a request to bring something to eat, you will announce that you will bring the salad: that is, if they don’t just outright ask you to bring this specific
Ingredients:
3 cups water
4 oz Feta crumbles (Brand doesn’t matter, but make sure it’s plain.)
1–1/2 cups farro (Farro is an ancient grain that has been around for thousands of years. Farro was eaten by the Pharaohs: not really, but they did make breads from the grain varieties we call Farro. The emmer, spelt, and einkorn are all wheat strains considered farro.)
1 English cucumber— unpeeled and diced (Yes, it matters. They are bigger, and yes, that matters, but most importantly, they have very small or nonexistent seeds, keeping the water content in them to a minimum. )
1 bunch of green onions-sliced
1 red pepper (Green peppers are too bitter. Red peppers have the best flavor profile for this salad.)
1 can of black olives- sliced any way you want(Whatever your preference is does not make or break the salad. Kalamata will give it more zest, but regular canned is fine too. Sliced or whole, it’s up to you.)
The Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (The closer you get it from the Mediterranean, the better.) I use Spanish olive oil because it’s more aromatic and flavorful. The fact that my family lives in Spain might have something to do with it, but I will neither confirm nor deny such allegations.)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (It can be white wine vinegar, but not white or apple cider vinegar. Brand does not matter much, but quality should be fairly decent.)
For the dressing spices, I don’t have a set selection. The quantities are up to your taste, though salt should be kept to a minimum due to the feta cheese’s saltiness. Here are some choices:
1 tsp or less of salt ( I use less or none at all.)
1/2 tsp of garlic powder or granulated onion
1/2 tsp of granulated garlic powder
1/2 tsp of Greek seasoning blend (available in most grocery stores; Italian seasoning works well, too. Don’t have that, then use oregano and a little less than 1 tsp of basil).
1 tsp ground cumin (This is needed, but if you don’t like it, omit it.)
(** If you want to make it even easier, you can use Good Seasonings. It has a similar taste, and neither you nor your guests will know the difference. Just follow package instructions, add 1 tsp cumin, and pour.)
Here we go
Make the salad dressing and set aside to get cozy with all its ingredients.
Making the farro: (read through)
2x the volume of the farro you use in water (i.e., a 2-to-1 ratio, meaning 1–1/2 cups farro to 3 cups water. (***Don’t change the ratio even in a rice cooker. Farro doesn’t cook the same or require the same amount of water as white rice. Farro is the whole grain of wheat before the chaff is removed and processed.)
Tip: Use a rice cooker and set it to ‘whole grain’, not rice. It will do its thing and finish cooking in an hour. The added time is a small sacrifice for the mess it saves you.
If you prefer the stovetop method, stay nearby because it will get messy as it loves to foam up and over the pot. On the stove, you will cook it on low until the water evaporates. This will take approximately 40–45 minutes.
When the farro is cooked, set aside to cool completely.
Putting it together: * while the farro cooks
In a large dish, mix the vegetables and the dressing.
When the farro has cooled, add it to the marinated vegetables and toss until well blended and everything is glossy and coated in the dressing.
Eat and enjoy now, or later, room temperature or chilled. Then wait for the ooh’s and ahh’s.
**Note:
Olive oil solidifies when cold, so if that is a no-go for you, take it out and let it reach room temperature, as I do. I’m not a fan of chunky olive oil.
Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your experience with it.
Here is a little side story
When my son was a competitive swimmer here in Wichita, I became a swim mom. As a parent of young Olympic hopefuls- because, yes, all of our children were going to the Olympics one day- we had to volunteer at our own hosted swim meets.
I ran the hospitality suite for the coaches and officials, who we fed three times a day and for 3–4 days. The first time I made this salad, I had grown men and women asking for doggie bags to take to their hotels.
Farro salad really is that good.
(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)
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Hungry yet? Come take another nibble
Try Dilly Cucumber Salad next..
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