Blood Orange & Farro Salad

Why I Love This Farro Salad Recipe

I love Easter because it’s the unofficial start to spring. The weather doesn’t always cooperate, but the food surely does. Often, the Easter meal consists of ham (I love my recipe for citrus glazed ham); don’t ask me why, but this is what’s traditional here in the Midwest. But I think we really need a vibrant, citrus-forward spring salad for the Easter meal.

This blood orange and farro salad is chock full of flavor and texture, and the perfect answer!

It’s topped with pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds, pickled shallots, and feta, and is the combination of all the flavors I love. It looks beautiful piled onto a big platter, and every topping has its place. It’s also the type of recipe that feels just right for Easter brunch, a spring lunch, or really any meal when you want something fresh.

Here’s why you’ll love this salad, too:

• Farro adds a hearty and chewy texture that makes the salad feel like you’re eating a meal – seriously!
• Blood oranges bring sweetness, acidity, and are something a bit unique.
• A mix of romaine, Bibb, and arugula keeps every bite crisp and layered.
• The platter presentation makes it feel extra inviting and easy to serve at a brunch, holiday (like Easter), or any spring meal.

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Blood Orange & Farro Salad Ingredients

Each ingredient in this farro salad is included for a specific reason:

• Farro – Adds a tender, nutty bite that makes the salad more filling.
• Blood oranges – Segmented for the salad, with extra juice reserved for the dressing.
• Shallot – Thinly sliced and quickly pickled for a bright flavor.
• Arugula, romaine lettuce, and Bibb lettuce – A combination of greens that add to the flavor and texture of the salad.
• Pomegranate arils – For sweetness, tartness, and a little extra texture.
• Sunflower seeds – Bring crunch and a subtle toasty flavor.
• Mint leaves – A bit of a surprising element, but it really freshens up the whole salad.
• Feta cheese – Salty, creamy, and perfect when paired with the citrus.
• Champagne vinegar – Light and bright, without overpowering the citrus.
• Kosher salt and black pepper – Season both the shallots and the dressing.
• Honey – Softens the acidity.
• Garlic – Minced for delicious flavor in the dressing.
• Dijon mustard – Helps emulsify the dressing and adds depth.
• Olive oil – Brings the dressing together with richness and body.

The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Blood Orange & Farro Salad

There are 5 steps to prepare this farro salad:

Step 1: Cook the farro – In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook until the farro is tender, 18 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside to cool.

Step 2: Segment the oranges – Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the blood oranges. Slice between each membrane to release the segments into a bowl. Squeeze the membranes to capture any remaining juice, and reserve enough juice for the dressing.

Step 3: Pickle the shallot – In a small bowl, whisk together the blood orange juice, champagne vinegar, salt, and honey. Add the sliced shallot, stir, and let it sit for 20 minutes so the shallot softens and takes on the flavor.

Step 4: Make the dressing – Remove the shallot from the pickling liquid and set it aside. To the bowl of liquid, add the minced garlic, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and olive oil. Whisk until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.

Step 5: Assemble – On a large platter or in a wide serving bowl, combine the arugula, chopped romaine, chopped Bibb, and cooled farro. Toss with about half of the dressing. Top with the pickled shallot, blood orange segments, pomegranate arils, sunflower seeds, mint, and feta. Drizzle with additional dressing to taste and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Save the orange juice – Make sure to hold the citrus over a bowl while segmenting the oranges to catch all of the juices. Also, squeeze the membranes as well so you get to the total liquid amount needed for the dressing.
• Use a large platter – A wide platter shows off all the toppings and keeps them from sinking to the bottom. You want this thing to be a showstopper!
• Dress lightly at first – Start with half the dressing, then add more as needed.
• Dry the greens well – Make sure your greens are crisp and dry, so they hold the dressing better and keep the salad from becoming watery.
• Let the shallots sit for the full 20 minutes – That marinating time takes the edge off and gives them a balanced sweet-tart flavor.
• Tear the mint at the end – Adding the mint just before serving keeps it fragrant and bright.

Blood Orange & Farro Salad

By Kaleb

5 from 1 vote

Blood orange and farro salad is bright, colorful, and exactly the kind of salad that's perfect for a spring meal. Tender farro, greens, citrus, feta, and a citrus shallot dressing make it feel special.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup farro rinsed and drained
• ▢ 4 blood oranges
• ▢ ¼ cup blood orange juice (from the segmented oranges)
• ▢ 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
• ▢ 1 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 2 tsp honey
• ▢ 1 large shallot sliced
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ⅓ cup olive oil
• ▢ 4 oz arugula washed and dried
• ▢ 1 head romaine lettuce roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 head Bibb lettuce roughly chopped
• ▢ ½ cup pomegranate arils
• ▢ ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
• ▢ ⅓ cup torn fresh mint leaves
• ▢ 4 oz feta cheese crumbled

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Instructions 

• Cook the farro: In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add the farro and 1 tsp kosher salt. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook until the farro is tender, 18-25 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside to cool.
  1 cup farro
• Segment the oranges: With a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the orange. Slice between each membrane to release the segment and set it in a bowl. Squeeze the membranes to reserve any remaining juice.
  4 blood oranges
• Pickle the shallot: Whisk together the orange juice, champagne vinegar, salt, and honey. Add the sliced shallot, stir, and set aside for 20 minutes to pickle.
  ¼ cup blood orange juice (from the segmented oranges), 1 tbsp champagne vinegar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp honey, 1 large shallot
• Make the dressing: Remove the shallot from the liquid and set it aside. To the bowl with the liquid, add the garlic, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and olive oil. Whisk until combined and emulsified.
  1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ⅓ cup olive oil
• Assemble the salad: On a large platter or bowl, combine the greens and farro. Toss with half of the dressing. Top with the reserved pickled shallot, orange segments, pomegranate arils, sunflower seeds, mint leaves, and feta. Drizzle with more dressing to taste.
  4 oz arugula, 1 head romaine lettuce, 1 head Bibb lettuce, ½ cup pomegranate arils, ⅓ cup sunflower seeds, ⅓ cup torn fresh mint leaves, 4 oz feta cheese

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 276 kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!

Styling: Addelyn Evans | Photography: Dera Burreson