Tuscan Farro Salad

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insalata di farro toscana

I love a farro salad to break up the boring world of plain green salads. Farro adds a hearty, nuttiness and is filling and healthy! I serve this salad warm, which amplifies the flavors and makes the citrusy dressing pop!

This Tuscan farro salad highlights rustic flavor and ingredients that you would commonly find in Tuscany. Farro is an “ancient grain” that has been cultivated and enjoyed in Italy for centuries. Then we add in peppery arugula, sweet oranges, caramelized fennel and salty pecorino cheese for a perfect flavor combination!

It’s an easy to make side dish that can be served alongside any main course. How many sad salads have you seen at a potluck party? If you bring a warm tuscan farro salad, you will be the star of the show!

Plus, leftovers are great cold for lunch or for dinner alongside a piece of grilled salmon or chicken.

Ingredients

Farro
Arugula
Fennel bulbs
Oranges
Lemon
Shaved pecorino romano cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

I am using pearled farro, which is the farro grain with the outside bran removed. But you might also find whole farro in the store, as well as semi-pearled. Pearled farro cooks faster so be sure to check which type you are using and the package often indicates cooking directions to help!

Farro is filling, healthy, and high in fiber, iron, and protein. It is grown in many regions of Italy, for example Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria and Abruzzo. It has a slightly chewy texture and a nutty flavor.

Fennel is actually a perennial herb in the carrot family. The variety that is most common in the culinary world is called Florence fennel – very apt for a Tuscan salad!

Fennel has been cherished all the way back to ancient Rome when gladiators would eat it before going into the arena, with the belief it would make them stronger. When they won, they were crowned with wreaths and garlands woven with fennel fronds.

When served raw, as in a salad, fennel is commonly paired with oranges. The sharp, anise flavor compliments the sweet, citrus. In this Tuscan farro salad, we are cooking the fennel which will deepen the flavor and dull the bitterness, giving it sweet, almost caramel notes.

Pecorino Romano cheese is like the saltier, earthier cousin to Parmigiano Reggiano. The major difference is Pecorino Romano is made with sheep’s milk and Parmigiano Reggiano is made with cow’s milk. An easy way to remember is pecora means “sheep” in Italian. Pecorino romano is a must for making classic Roman pasta dishes like cacio e pepe and carbonara. Pecorino is also aged for less time than Parmesan cheese, creating a bright and tangy flavor.

Step by Step

Start by cooking the farro. Farro cooks like pasta, in a pot of salted, boiling water. Rinse the farro in a fine mesh sieve to remove any excess starch and then add to a pot with 3 times as much cold water as farro. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered. Pearled farro takes about 15-20 minutes and whole farro 30-40 minutes. Taste a grain to check for doneness. The farro should be tender and still have a little chew but not be hard.

Drain the farro and add to a large boil. Drizzle with a little olive oil and stir. This is to prevent the grains from sticking and clumping together and to get some extra flavor into the farro.

While the farro cooks, start the fennel. Cut the stems off the top of the bulb. Then cut just a sliver off the bottom. Cut it in half down the middle, lengthwise. Cut out the bottom core by cutting a triangle around it and it will pop right out. Then make thin lengthwise slices, following the natural lines of the bulb, about 1 cm thick.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the fennel and stir. I want to get some initial browning which takes about 2-3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, until fennel is soft, tender, and caramelized.

Now, segment the orange. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the top and bottom off the oranges. This keeps the orange from rolling around as we cut the peel off. Place the orange on a cut side and starting at the top, cut down around the curve of the orange, making sure to cut the peel and the white pith. To cut the segments, hold the orange in your non-dominant hand and cut straight in alongside the segments, meeting at the same point on both sides of each segment – they should just pop out from the orange.

In a small bowl, squeeze any juice out of the peels, and core/membrane of the orange. This will be the start of the dressing.

Depending how much orange juice you have, add in fresh lemon juice to supplement until you have about 3-4 tablespoons of citrus total. Then add 4 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Whisk until combined and emulsified. Easiest dressing ever!

Now to assemble the salad. Add the arugula, orange segments, and fennel to the bowl with the farro. Drizzle in about half the vinaigrette to coat the ingredients and mix. Then add more as needed. There’s nothing worse than over-dressed salad, so I always start with less and then add more.

Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and add the Pecorino Romano cheese. Using a vegetable peeler, shave off pieces from the wedge of cheese over the top.

Tuscan farro salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Leftovers can be enjoyed cold or room temperature.

Tips and FAQs

Baby spinach can be substituted for the arugula
Parmigiano Reggiano shavings can be substituted for the Pecorino Romano
Feel free to add additional fresh herbs! Fresh basil and fresh parsley would be lovely!

How do I cook farro?

Rinse the farro. Add to pot with 3 times as much water as farro. Bring to a boil and salt the water. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes for pearled farro and 30-40 minutes for whole farro. Cook until farro is tender but still chewy.