This farro pomegranate salad with fresh herbs, green onions, pistachios, and oil-free pomegranate vinaigrette is simple and festive! It's a perfect autumn salad and a beautiful side dish for any holiday table. It's naturally vegan, with healthy plant-based ingredients, and can be made ahead.
This festive farro salad recipe is shaking up my holiday table this year. That's a switch from my usual pomegranate pearl couscous salad, but I want to celebrate my love for my pomegranate dressing recipe. Plus, I needed another reason to cook more farro after making vegan Charlie Bird's salad. This salad does that and more!
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Table of Contents
What is Farro?
In case you aren't familiar with it, farro is a high-fiber, high-protein, whole-wheat ancient grain. There are 3 types of farro - emmer, spelt, and einkorn. Whole farro is healthiest because it includes the nutritious bran part of the grain, but you can make this recipe with pearled or semi-pearled.
Like cooking barley or rice, the time needed to cook whole, semi-pearled, or pearled farro varies depending on the type and the method you use. I'll cover it all below.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Farro. The chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor add substance to salads. The best substitute for farro is barley (try my Instant Pot barley recipe), wheat berries, spelt, or quinoa.
- Pomegranate Molasses. Pomegranate molasses is a thick, dark syrup made by reducing pomegranate juice. It can be labeled as unsweetened pomegranate syrup. Check the labels to ensure that the only ingredient is pomegranate juice. The best substitute is ¼ cup pure pomegranate juice and no added water to the dressing, although the flavor won't be as intense.
- Pomegranate arials. Also known as pomegranate seeds. I deseeded a fresh pomegranate, but you can also buy them prepared, saving about 15 minutes of prep time.
- Dates. I used 2 Medjool dates to make pomegranate vinaigrette because they add sweetness and thicken the dressing. Any type of pitted dates works for this dressing. You can also substitute with 1 ½ tablespoons of date paste or maple syrup, adding more if needed.
- Fresh herbs. The only added greens are roughly chopped parsley and mint. My favorite is flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, but curly can also be used. If you have it, you can toss in a little cilantro but don't overwhelm the rest of the flavors by adding too much.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to Cook Farro
I've cooked farro using all three methods. The stovetop method gives you the ultimate control, but using the rice cooker gives you another stove ring. The Instant Pot method is my favorite because it's 'set and forget.' For 2 cups farro, use 6 cups water. If water is left, drain and rinse the farro to cool it.
- Stovetop: Plan 30-35 minutes for whole-grain farro and 15-25 minutes for semi-pearled or pearled farro. Bring the farro and water to boiling and then adjust the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer until tender.
- Rice Cooker: Set the rice cooker timer to 45 minutes for any farro. Or set your kitchen timer or phone to remind you. Once the farro is tender, turn off the rice cooker.
- Instant Pot: Cook whole farro on High Pressure for 10 minutes with 5 minutes of natural pressure release. Cook semi-pearled and pearled for 7 minutes with 5 minutes of natural pressure release.
Recipe Variations
Add 2 cups of baby spinach or chopped kale for a larger, greener salad. Diced cucumber or shredded carrots could be added to bulk out the salad and add more crunch, flavor, and color.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the barley using the stovetop, Instant Pot, or rice cooker.
Blend soaked dates, pomegranate molasses, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, and water to make the dressing.
Add cooled farro, green onions, chopped herbs, and pomegranate arils to a large bowl.
Mix the salad ingredients, pomegranate vinaigrette, and half the pistachios. Garnish with remaining pistachios.
Pro Tips
- Consult the package directions before cooking farro. Cooking times will vary depending on the type, brand, and processing.
- Rinse cooked farro in cool water to stop the cooking process. Let it cool before mixing in the rest of the salad ingredients. This keeps the heat from wilting the fresh herbs.
- I recommend soaking the dates in hot water before blending. You may be able to skip this step if you have a high-speed blender, but I always advise soaking dates or nuts before blending. Scrape the sides of the container and add more water if the dressing is too thick.
How to Make Farro Salad Ahead
Although you can make the entire salad a day before if you want it fresh on the day, here are a few time-saving tips:
- Farro can be cooked 1-2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- Make the dressing 2-3 days ahead. Be sure to stir it before adding it to the salad.
- Chop the nuts early. When planning a big dinner, I chop nuts, mix spices, and label everything several days early. It's a great time and stress-savor.
Serving Suggestions
This festive salad goes with all your holiday favorites like creamy vegan scalloped potatoes, orange sweet potato casserole, vegan creamed onions, and delicious main dishes like stuffed seitan roast or stuffed butternut squash. But heck ya, this is an excellent salad with a simple dinner of vegan tofu chicken, easy chickpea patties, or loaded baked sweet potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store farro salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Let it warm to room temperature and stir it before serving.
Farro is a whole wheat ingredient and is not gluten-free. The best gluten-free substitute for farro is quinoa.
The best substitute for whole-grain farro is whole-grain barley or wheat berries. For semi-pearled or pearled farro, consider spelt or for salads, giant, pearled, or Israeli couscous.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Farro Pomegranate Salad (Vegan and Oil-Free)
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Ingredients
- 2 cups farro - (see note 1)
- 1 cup pomegranate arils - pomegranate seeds
- 5 medium green onions - white and green parts chopped
- 1 ½ cups parsley - chopped
- 1 cup mint - chopped
- ½ cup unsalted pistachios - chopped
- 2 medium dates - pitted and soaked
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic - peeled and cut into quarters
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Rinse 2 cups of farro, then add it plus 6 cups of water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 30-35 minutes or 15-20 minutes for pearled or semi-pearled farro. Once the farro is tender, drain and rinse it. (see notes 2 and 3 for rice cooker and Instant Pot instructions)
- Place the dates in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain the dates and add them to a blender with the pomegranate molasses, mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, and water. Blend until smooth.
- When the farro is done, drain and rinse it, then add it to a large bowl.
- Add the green onions, pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs, the dressing, and half the pistachios. Mix well.
- Garnish with the remaining pistachios.
Notes
- This recipe is made with whole-grain farro (Emmer). Actual cook time will depend on the type of farro you use (whole, semi-pearled, or pearled) and the cooking method (stovetop, Instant Pot, rice cooker).
- Rice cooker farro: Add 2 cups of farro and 6 cups of water to your rice cooker. Set your rice cooker or timer to 45 minutes. Cook until tender, then drain and rinse.
- Instant Pot farro: Use 2 cups of farro and 6 cups of water. Cook whole farro on High Pressure for 10 minutes with 5 minutes NPR. Cook semi-pearled and pearled for 7 minutes with 5 NPR.
- Store farro salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Warm to room temperature and stir before reserving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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LJD says
Denise is there a substitute for pomegranate which is verboten for my diet? Would cranberries do it? This looks so healthy and delicious.
Denise Perrault says
Hi, cranberries are a great substitute. I hope you enjoy this salad - it's our new favorite. 🙂