Farro Salad with Pear and Hazelnuts

A delicious recipe for Farro Salad with pear, hazelnuts, and arugula. Keep it vegan or add pecorino. Either way, it’s a healthy, hearty fall salad!

This Farro Salad practically sings of fall. Nutty, earthy farro is combined with pears, toasted hazelnuts, and arugula; it’s hearty enough to be a main course. Farro is so flavorful and wholesome, I love it in salads, and it turns out we have quite a few on the blog!

My husband often wants meat for dinner, and I don’t. When 5 o’clock rolls around, it’s always the same rigamarole: “What’s for dinner?” my husband asks. And when I tell him what I’m thinking, and if it sounds too healthy or too vegetarian, he immediately establishes a prejudice against it. 🙂 So I’ve developed a new tactic; I just don’t tell him. Ha! I wait until he’s good and hungry, then I place the beautiful bowl of food in front of him and wait to see what happens. I don’t even tell him what it is. And what typically happens is, he eats it. And when he goes for seconds, that’s when I know that he genuinely likes it. Of course, there have been a couple of times when he’s flat-out refused, like when I served him a bowl of wilted nettles. Lesson learned. 😉 This farro salad is one he wholeheartedly gobbled up – so I know it’s good.

Why You’ll Love This

As a former vegetarian restaurant owner and longtime caterer, I’ve made countless grain salads over the years, and this farro salad has always been a favorite, especially among our vegetarian guests. It’s been a reader-loved recipe as well. Jason writes, “Another amazing dish…the colors and the flavors were really on point for the fall season,” while another shared, “I made this on Thanksgiving, and everyone loved it!”

Farro Salad Ingredient Notes

• Farro: You’ll need 2 cups of dry farro, which yields approximately 6 cups of cooked farro. The farro is toasted beforehand to add depth and nuttiness to the finished dish. This technique is one to keep in your back pocket because it works with any grain, even pasta, elevating the finished dish.
• Pears: Any seasonal pear will work here. Using perfectly ripe fall pears makes this salad shine. Pears, unlike most fruit, don’t actually ripen well on the tree. They are picked unripe and prefer to ripen on your kitchen counter. If left on the tree to ripen, their cores will become mealy, and their outer flesh overly tannic. So be sure to give them a few days on the counter until they feel tender to the touch near the stem.
• Hazelnuts: Toast the hazelnuts first for a rich, nutty flavor and delightful crunch.
• Pecorino: Optional, but adds a lovely depth. You can always serve it on the side to suit dietary needs. If skipping the pecorino, adjust the salt to taste.
• Baby arugula: Pairs beautifully with the farro and pear.
• Dressing: Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper.

Different Types of Farro

Farro comes in two main forms: whole farro and pearled farro. The difference affects both cooking time and nutrition. Whole farro still has its bran intact, giving it more fiber, nutrients, and a chewier texture, but it requires a longer cook time (30-40 minutes or more). Pearled farro has had its bran partially or fully removed, which makes it quicker to cook, usually in 15-20 minutes, and slightly lighter in texture. Both work well in this salad!

SUBSTITUTIONS & Variations

• Farro: Substitute with any cooked whole grains. Use buckwheat, quinoa, or brown rice for a gluten-free version.
• Pears: Substitute with thinly sliced apples.
• Hazelnuts: Swap them for our Maple Pecans or toasted walnuts. If you’re allergic to nuts, try roasted pumpkin seeds instead.
• Pecorino: For something creamier, goat cheese makes a nice substitute.
• Baby arugula: Substitute with lacinato kale.
• Add roasted vegetables: Mix in our roasted root vegetables or roasted butternut squash.
• Add protein: Roasted chickpeas, white beans, crispy tofu or baked tofu, baked chicken, or roasted salmon.
• Add herbs: Toss in chopped fresh parsley or thyme!

How to make Farro Salad

1. Toast and cook the farro. Add the uncooked farro to a large, dry pot, toasting until golden with a nutty aroma.

How to Cook Farro

Add water and salt to the large pot of toasted farro. Boil like pasta, uncovered, until perfectly tender, yet still a little chewy. Drain the liquid, rinse with cold water, drain again, and place in a salad bowl. You can do this ahead and chill or freeze.

2. Add the dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to the bowl of nutty farro and toss to combine. At this point, you can refrigerate it for later use.

3. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Gently fold in the pears, toasted hazelnuts, and arugula. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add pecorino if desired. If skipping the pecorino, you may need a little extra salt in the salad.

Chef’s Tips

1. Toast the farro. Toasting the farro is a simple step that deepens the grain’s natural nuttiness and makes the whole salad taste more complex. It’s a chef trick that quietly elevates any dish!
2. Balance the sweetness. Pears vary in sweetness, so taste and adjust with a pinch of salt or a splash of vinegar if the salad leans too sweet.
3. Cut pears just before serving. To prevent browning and keep their texture crisp and juicy, slice the pears right before folding them in. Or toss them gently in a little bit of the dressing.
4. Adjust for salt if skipping the cheese. Pecorino adds both salt and umami. If keeping the salad vegan, you may need a pinch more salt or even a squeeze of lemon to brighten things up.

Serving Suggestions

• Pair with cozy soups: Sweet Potato Soup, Vegetable Barley Soup, Broccoli and Cheddar Soup, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, 30+ Cozy Vegetarian Soup Recipes
• Add a hearty side dish: Cozy Potato Recipes, Vegan Cornbread Muffins, Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls, Spaghetti Squash with Chard, Walnuts, and Chèvre, Roasted Beets
• Serve at the holiday table: 55+ Veggie-Forward Thanksgiving Side Dishes, 65 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu Ideas, Holiday Recipes

Meal Prep & Storage

• Meal prep: Cook the farro ahead to save on cooking time. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days before assembling. Or store it in the freezer for 3 months. You can also dress the farro the day before serving, but leave the remaining ingredients out until ready to serve. Store the dressed farro in the fridge overnight, bring to room temperature, and taste the farro, adding more dressing as needed. The dressing can be added one ingredient at a time to the salad, or you can whisk the ingredients together in a jar and store 1-2 days beforehand.
• Storage: Once assembled, the salad will keep in the fridge for a day or two, though the arugula will soften. If you plan to store leftovers, keep the arugula separate and mix it in fresh.
• Reviving leftovers: Taste the grains before serving, as the farro tends to absorb some of the dressing. Add a splash of vinegar or fresh lemon juice if needed for extra flavor.

On the home front: September is my favorite month of the year. Here in the Northwest, days are gloriously sunny, while nights are deliciously brisk. The air feels charged with a special sort of energy, an effervescent quality that moves the trees in such a way, they seem to come alive. So mesmerizing. In our catering world, there is a natural, but intentional, slowdown for us – Brian goes on his 10-day trip into the woods – and I get my fill of luxurious solitude.

During our time apart, we forget about everything that drives us crazy about each other, and by the end of it, we miss each other. Our reunion lands just a few days before our anniversary on the Fall Equinox. It really couldn’t be more perfectly timed. So this is why I love September. Not to mention all the beautiful produce that is available – there is such an abundance.

I hope you enjoy this lovely farro salad! Please let us know in the comments below.

Happy September,

Sylvia

More Farro recipes you may like

Farro Tabbouleh Salad

Farro Salad with Kale, Pomegranate Seeds and Almonds

Pickled Cherry Salad with Farro and Almonds

Farro Salad with Beets and their Tops

Farro Bowl with Kale & Figs

Mediterranean Farro Salad w/ Marinated Zucchini and Chickpeas

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