This Pesto Farro Salad is hearty & delicious. Farro is tossed with pecan pesto, parmesan & arugula, then topped even more pecans for a great crunch.
Pesto Farro Salad
Lately, I can’t seem to get enough of farro. I’ve been swapping it in place of rice or quinoa in grain bowls like these Sweet Potato & Chickpea Buddha Bowls, Yumm Sauce Bowls, Quinoa Taco Bowls, or Chicken Gyro Bowls.
But now that the weather is scorching hot outside, I’ve been looking for more no-cook recipes that use farro, and I’ve found that farro is the perfect addition to salads. I love that it holds its texture. In fact, the farro becomes even more delicious as it’s allow to mingle a bit with the sauce or dressing that you’re tossing it with.
Lately, this Farro Salad with Basil Lemon Tahini Dressing has been on regular rotation in our house. It’s amazing… The tahini dressing is seriously addictive. But, I was ready for a new twist. That’s how this Pesto Farro Salad came to be.
What is Farro?
- Farro is a grain like rice or quinoa, but it’s packed with an amazing amount of fiber and protein. It supplies you with more than 10 different vitamins and minerals and is lower in gluten than most wheat. You’ll typically find in near the rice in your grocery store.
I love that farro has a hearty, chewy texture and an almost nutty flavor to it. Which makes it the perfect grain for pairing with the Pecan Pesto in this farro salad recipe.
While traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, I’m using pecans to give this pesto a unique twist. I’m also sprinkling them over this pesto farro at the end to add a delicious crunch. Bonus: Did you know that pecans are nutrient dense, a good source of fiber, and packed with “good” fats?
Pecan Pesto Ingredients
- Basil
- Pecans
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt
How to Make Pecan Pesto
- The Pecan Pesto sauce for this farro salad couldn’t be simpler. Just add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Once you’ve made the pecan pesto, simply toss it with the cooked farro, fold in the arugula and shaved parmesan cheese and then sprinkle with chopped pecans and radishes for extra crunch (and pretiness). *** I also topped the salad below with some camomile flowers.*** Then you’re set and ready to serve. Enjoy!
If you loved this Pesto Farro Salad I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
Farro Recipes:
- Healthy Chicken Parmesan Skillet Farro
- Instant Pot Farro
- Farro Salad with Basil Lemon Tahini Dressing
Pesto Farro Recipe
Pesto Farro Salad
Ingredients
Farro Salad
- 1 cup farro (rinsed and drained)
- 1/3 cup toasted pecans (chopped)
- 3 radishes (thinly sliced)
- 2 cups arugula leaves
- ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- Flaky sea salt (for finishing)
Pecan Pesto
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 2/3 cup good-quality olive oil
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 large garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add farro and cook for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Meanwhile, add pesto ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Toss farro with pesto then add the arugula and gently fold in the parmesan. Topp with chopped pecans, radishes, sprinkle with salt and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
I teamed up with the American Pecan Council to bring you this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
This is truly the most beautiful salad I’ve ever seen! I’d have a hard time digging in because of that 😉
Seriously, all of those flavors together sounds so incredible. Can’t wait to make it!
Thanks Mary!
What a gorgeous salad!! I love cooking with farro, and I bet it’s delicious with the pesto in this salad.
Thanks Marlynn!
You had me at pecan pesto!! This sounds amazing, pinning!
Thank you so much Kelsey!
What is a serving size in cups for one person?
Recipe makes a LOT of pesto. Not a bad thing if you want extra, but it would be way too much if you used it all. Also, I found 2 cups of greens to be woefully inadequate so I added another 2 cups of baby spinach. And doubled the radishes. Topped it with some roasted chicken thighs and it was a great dinner. Bonus: leftover pesto!