Strawberry Farro Salad with Avocado and Feta
Hi from the skies! I’m currently en route from Milwaukee to Louisiana and splurged for the in-air wifi. It’s 7 a.m., and I am legitimately contemplating pulling out the leftover Strawberry Farro Salad with Avocado and Feta that I have packed in my carry on. I intended this summery farro salad to be my mid-morning snack, but I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I boarded the plane. When you woke up at 4 a.m., 7 a.m. counts as “mid-morning” yes?
Wholesome, simple, and filled with healthy ingredients, this Strawberry Farro Salad was what I was craving on Tuesday night, my one evening at home during a multi-week travel spree.
Fortunately, this farro salad is so simple to make, I was able to throw it together in the midst of packing, and it’s so scrumptiously addictive, I couldn’t bear to leave the leftovers behind. Whether you are looking for a healthy, easy meal, a slam-dunk side for a summer potluck or Mother’s Day, or bought way too many strawberries at the grocery store this week (been there, done that), you’ll be reluctant to abandon the leftovers too.
Once I land, I’m headed to Avery Island, Louisiana, to how Tabasco Hot Sauce is made. Blogging has given me the neatest, most unexpected opportunities, one of which is to travel to meet the people behind products I use in my own kitchen every day. This trip is number three of five total that I’m taking between mid-April and mid-May.
{FYI: If you want to see what I’ve been up to and what’s ahead in Nashville, California, Louisiana, Nashville Part II, and St. Louis, you can follow me on Instagram (if you are reading this on a mobile device, click here to follow) and Snapchat (user name is wellplated. Those reading on a phone can click here to add me as a friend).}
I absolutely adore traveling and dining out, but when I’m gone for long periods, I miss being in my kitchen and eating well-balanced meals like this Strawberry Farro Salad. It, along with simply grilled chicken, was the perfect “last dinner” at home before I took off for the airport again.
The beauty of this summer salad is its balance of ingredients and textures. The farro is delightfully nutty and chewy (if you haven’t tried farro, please, please do—it’s wonderful, healthy, and available in just about any grocery store or Amazon), the strawberries are fresh and sweet, the feta and avocado are creamy and satisfying, and the walnuts add warmth and crunch.
For the dressing, I made a simple balsamic vinaigrette, then stirred in a touch of honey and poppy seeds. You could make the dressing without the poppy seeds, but the two—poppy seed dressing and strawberry salad—are inseparable in my mind, so I couldn’t resist. I love the little specs of color and tiny crunch the poppy seeds add to every forkful.
I finished off this farro salad recipe with a few handfuls of fresh spinach for color and an extra serving of veggies. My only regret: I didn’t pack an extra serving for the flight home!
Tools I used to make this recipe:
- Nesting mixing bowls
- Small whisk (for the poppy seed dressing)
Strawberry Farro Salad with Avocado and Feta
Ingredients
For the farro salad:
- 3/4 cup uncooked farro
- 1 pint strawberries — hulled and quartered
- 2 medium avocados — diced
- 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach — roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 small red onion — finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
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Prepare farro according to package instructions. Place in a serving bowl and let cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
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Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, poppy seeds and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Pour over the farro, then toss to coat.
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Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the farro: strawberries, avocados, spinach, feta, red onion, and walnuts, then toss gently to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Amount per serving (1 (of 4)) — Calories: 450, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 293mg, Carbohydrates: 44g, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 9g, Protein: 13gDid you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
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About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
Looks delicious Erin! I love farro and think it’s such a perfect hearty addition for the salad. And avocado and strawberries?? YES PLEASE.
Safe travels! This salad looks amazing- I am SUCH a fan of farro and feta and strawberries and avocados! You basically combined all my favorites so of course I’m pinning this! :)
hey girl this looks really good! You have fun and be safe! Love ya
This is pretty much my dream salad.
Have a good trip Erin. Thank you for the nice recipe.
This salad looks so delicious! I absolutely adore farro. I can definitely see why you didn’t abandon these leftovers!
What a lovely salad Erin. I’ve never made a far to recipe with strawberry before. I think It’s time to give it a try :-)
Loathe though I am to change recipe ingredients, would this work with bulgar wheat? I have to use up my last hippie chow grain before I’ll buy a new one.
Mary, you could swap bulgar, but because it is so much finer a grain than farro, the final texture of the salad would be pretty different (and it will taste “wheatier” too). I think it just depends what you are going for. Quinoa or wheat berries would be a more direct swap.
I also have a bag of bulgur as my current hipster grain. I used it in this salad and it was still fantastic!! The best salad I have ever eaten (and maybe even the best thing I’ve cooked in my kitchen).
Awesome, Rose! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback and tweaks! Bulgur sounds delicious here.
Just what I was looking for.
I’m so glad to hear that William! I hope you enjoy it.
Made this over the weekend and loved it. Such a great combination. Am making again for a Teacher’s Appreciation Lunch at my daughter’s school later this week.
I’m so excited to hear this Jessica! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and letting me know how it turned out for you.
Erin! This is the first recipe of yours that I’ve made (new reader) and I had to thank you for it! My husband and I went crazy for the flavors and textures in this salad. Absolutely delicious!! Can’t wait for more! :)
Katy, this makes me so happy! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and letting me know how much you and your husband enjoyed it. It’s such helpful feedback for me and for others too!
Is this kinda like a Greek salad?
Hi Suha—although Greek salads do have feta, the other ingredients in this give it a different profile. I think it tastes fresh and summery, and if you try it, I hope you love it!
Just made this salad and it was AWESOME. I like having big salads for lunch to get my greens in. The whole grains and all the goodies in this make it a very filling and nutritious lunch. Thank you for this recipe! <3
HOORAY!!! So excited to hear you liked it Elizabeth. Enjoy, and thanks so much for taking time to leave your review!
I have everything except spinach. Do you think I could chop kale into it instead? Thanks!
Hi Liz! Kale has a much stronger taste and fibrous texture, so it will change the salad. I still recommend spinach overall, but if you’d like to use kale, I would suggest chopping it fairly finely, then “massaging” it by rubbing with with a bit of the salad dressing before adding the other ingredients. This will help break it down and make it more pleasant to chew.
I made this for lunch this week and it’s really yummy! The flavours are better after they’ve had a chance to sit for a little bit.
I did make some substitutions, and will try the recipe as it is written another time when I have all the ingredients, but it was still wonderful with the changes. I used quinoa instead of farro and natural cashews instead of toasted walnuts.
Christa, I am sooooo excited to hear this! This recipe is great with quinoa too. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this wonderful review!
OK, made it Saturday night for church on Sunday. Had a little nibble. Then a little bowl. Then another. Daughter joined in with a bowl….then a repeat. I had to physically force myself to put this stuff away!!! This will cause a serious addiction problem. And often! What IS it about this salad?! Seriously – it’s incredible. Thank you (I think! LOL)!!
Dee, this is a problem of the most delicious sort! I am SO SO happy to hear that you loved it so much. Thank you!!
Fabulous fabulous fabulous made it to go with a fine steak
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Steak sounds like a great pairing. Thanks so much for reporting back!
Hey Erin,
We’re cooking for about 15 people this weekend. We’re smoking ribs, making your avocado/corn/arugula salad, this Strawberry Farro Salad and of course…. Tots!
Question, how many people does this Strawberry Farro serve as a side dish? I see the recipe says it serves 4, but I wasn’t sure if that was as a main dish. Would we need to double the recipe for 15 people?
Thanks!
Beau
Hi Beau, I think I would double the recipe for that many people. And in case you have any leftovers, it does last in the fridge for a day or two…the avocado browns, but it’s still delicious to eat.
I just made this yesterday, and it is too die for! I followed your recipe to a tee, with exception to adding Dijon in the dressing, only b/c I didn’t have any… I absolutely love this recipe and will share it with my clients!
Anne, thank you for taking the time to leave this great review! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the salad.