Farro Grain Salad with Greek Olives & Feta

Grain salads are a delicious way to feed your body fiber-rich whole grains, fresh veggies and healthy fats. This Farro Salad with Greek Olives & Feta is a client favorite, they just keep coming back for more, and it’s also a cinch to make. Along with the salt and tang of the feta and olives, sautéed shallots add lots of flavor to the background, and then some diced cucumber adds refreshing crunch, plus vitamins and enzymes.

This grain salad is a great side dish for any mediterranean-ish meal. It’s also super easy to pack up for an on-the-go lunch, just add some baby greens and a lemon wedge to make it a filling yet light and nourishing meal.

Farro Salad with Greek Olives & Feta
Serves: 4 Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 cups farro, dry
sea salt, fine grain
extra virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/3+ cup)
1 cup pitted mixed Greek olives, roughly chopped (I use green olives & kalamata)
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
black pepper
1 large cucumber, peeled & seeds removed, diced (1+ cup)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

To Make

Combine farro, 3 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium sauce pan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover. Cook until grains are soft, 10-12 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced shallots and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a mixing bowl, combine sautéed shallots, cooked grains (preferably still hot), 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and chopped olives. Allow to cool slightly. Add diced cucumber and crumbled feta. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, I added an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper.