Name: Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ½ cup dry farro (*); ½ cup raw pecan halves (**); cooking spray (or olive oil); kosher salt; 3 oz arugula; 6 oz radicchio (sliced into strips (about 1/2 small head of radicchio)***); 2 oranges (peel & pith removed, then sliced (I like to do a mix of navel and blood oranges for color variety)); 2-3 oz goat cheese (crumbled (feta would be good too)); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice; ½ tbsp orange zest; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup); ½ small shallot (diced); salt + pepper (to taste)

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This Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette is filled with seasonal and nutritious winter produce, has a variety of satisfying textures, and is bursting with bright citrus flavor. With crispy farro, toasted pecans, crumbled goat cheese, arugula, radicchio and fresh orange slices, this will become a salad staple when you need something that is unique yet healthy and delicious!

Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette in Wooden Salad Bowl

Salads deserve love even in the winter! There is actually so much beautiful produce in season during the winter, that we’d be crazy not to take advantage of it. This Winter Farro Salad features radicchio and fresh oranges which are both in season right now. It also has elements like goat cheese, crispy farro and toasted pecans that just scream winter to me.

And as if these components aren’t lovely enough on their own, when they come together and get married with a homemade orange vinaigrette, it turns into salad perfection. Like seriously, a salad you will actually crave. Plus, it’s fun and unique so if you’re in a rut when it comes to eating your veggies, try out this Winter Farro Salad and thank me later 🙂

Why You’ll Love this Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

It’s filled with fiber, flavor and texture!
The farro gets crispy in the oven, making it the perfect crunchy salad topping.
This Winter Farro Salad requires minimal cooking and can be ready in about 35 minutes.
It’s a new and unique way to eat your veggies if you’re in a rut!
This is the perfect winter dinner recipe to make and pair alongside some protein.
The orange vinaigrette is incredibly easy yet bursting with sweet, tangy, citrus flavor.

What You Need to Make this Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

For the Crispy Farro & Toasted Pecans:

Farro: Farro is one of my favorite grains! And when you turn it into crispy farro, it becomes the perfect crunchy, almost crouton-like topping for your salad. However, it’s not gluten free…so feel free to substitute quinoa if you want a gluten free option.
Raw Pecans: I prefer to toast the pecans myself in the oven, but you can also buy pre-roasted and salted pecans and just skip that step! Also, you can keep them as halves or chop them up after roasting for smaller pieces.
Cooking Spray or Olive Oil: Just a small amount of cooking spray or olive oil to help the farro and pecans crisp up in the oven.
Salt: Keep it simple and season the farro and pecans to taste with kosher salt.

For the Salad:

Arugula: The elite lettuce in my opinion! Arugula has such a lovely, pepper-y flavor all on it’s own, which adds depth to this winter farro salad.
Radicchio: Radicchio is a leafy chicory with bright red and white leaves and a bitter flavor. I love pairing it with the arugula for some textural contrast in this winter farro salad. It’s also in season during the winter!
Oranges: For more of that winter flare, we’re adding slices of fresh oranges to this salad. I like to do a mix of normal navel oranges and blood oranges, for a variety of color. Just make sure to fully cut off the peel and pith (white stuff) before slicing it.
Goat Cheese: A good salad must have cheese! I love a creamy goat cheese or a salty feta.

Ingredients for Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

For the Orange Vinaigrette:

Olive Oil: A good quality olive oil or avocado oil will be the base of this salad dressing.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Can’t have a vinaigrette without some vinegar! I like using apple cider vinegar for it’s sweet flavor, but you could also try using sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Orange Juice: Fresh squeezed orange juice, not the kind from a bottle!
Orange Zest: When zesting the orange, make sure not to get any of the pith (white stuff) or else your vinaigrette will taste bitter and off-putting.
Honey: A touch of honey or maple syrup to sweeten up the vinaigrette.
Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard helps the dressing emulsify. You can’t really taste it!
Shallot: Shallots are in the onion family, but are milder in flavor so they don’t overpower the dressing.
Salt + Pepper: Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste.

How To Make this Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Bake the Crispy Quinoa & Pecans:

First, preheat your oven to 400F. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Meanwhile, cook farro to al-dente according to package instructions. I usually use the one from Trader Joe’s which only takes 10 minutes in boiling water!

Then, drain the farro and add it to the prepared baking sheet. Spray with a bit of cooking spray (or about 1 tsp of olive oil) and season with salt. Toss to coat the farro, and then spread it out on the pan. Make sure to leave room for the pecans, which we will add later.

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and let the farro cook for 10 minutes. Then, add the pecans to the remaining space on the baking sheet, spray with cooking spray (or about 1 tsp of olive oil) and season with salt. Toss to coat and then spread out so they aren’t overlapping.

Next, return the baking sheet to the oven and let cook for another 5 minutes, until the farro is crispy and the pecans are lightly toasted. Let everything cool for several minutes. You can also chop up the pecans at this point if you prefer smaller chunks!

Crispy Farro and Toasted Pecans on Baking Sheet

Prepare the Orange Vinaigrette:

While the farro and pecans are baking, prepare the citrus vinaigrette by adding all of the ingredients to a small bowl or jar. Stir, or shake until combined and emulsified.

Assemble the Winter Farro Salad:

Finally, to a large salad bowl, add the arugula and radicchio. Pour the orange vinaigrette over top and toss to combine. Then, add crispy farro, orange slices, pecans and crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy!

What is Farro?

Farro is an ancient grain that has a chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor. It is a type of wheat, so it DOES contain gluten. However, it’s often compared to quinoa for its nutritional makeup and benefits. It’s higher in plant-based protein and fiber than rice, and it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals.

The texture alone should convince you! Each piece of farro is bigger than rice or quinoa would be and it’s chewier, so it just feels more satisfying. Especially when you use it to make crispy quinoa…it almost gives crouton vibes.

Farro can be found at many grocery stores, usually in the whole grains aisle along with rice and quinoa. I typically purchase the Trader Joe’s brand which cooks in just 10 minutes, but have also used the Bob’s Red Mill brand in the past.

Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette in Wooden Salad Bowl with Tongs

Substitutions:

To Make this Gluten Free:

Farro is not gluten free, but you can easily swap it out for another gluten free grain such as quinoa! The process is pretty much the same. Make sure to cook it according to package instructions, then spread it onto a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper, toss and then roast until crispy. In my experience, quinoa usually takes a little bit longer than farro (about 20-25 minutes), but keep an eye on it!

To Make this Dairy Free:

The only dairy-containing ingredient in this Winter Farro Salad is the goat cheese, which you can totally omit. Or, feel free to substitute it for a dairy-free cheese! I’m not aware of any dairy-free goat cheese brands, but I know there are definitely some dairy-free feta, which would be great here too.

For the Radicchio:

If you can’t find radicchio (sometimes it can be tricky) or you simply don’t like the flavor of it, try substituting red cabbage or belgian endive. Or, just omit it altogether and instead increase the amount of arugula to about 4-5 oz.

What Should I Serve With this Winter Farro Salad?

To make this Winter Farro Salad a full, filling meal, I’d recommend serving it with some protein such as some simple salmon or chicken. For a plant-based option, you could serve it alongside some air tried tofu (check out this blog post for my method) or even add in some pre-cooked lentils (they sell them at Trader Joe’s!)

Expert Tips:

Make sure to avoid the pith when you’re zesting the orange: The white part of the orange (the pith) is bitter and will give your dressing an off-putting taste, so make sure to only zest the thin, exterior layer of the orange.
Buy roasted & salted pecans if you want to save yourself a step: I just always have raw on hand, so I roasted them myself but you can also buy pre-roasted and salted and then skip the roasting step.
Cook the farro first before roasting: Follow the package instructions and cook until al-dente. Then, roast in the oven to make the farro crispy.
Use quinoa instead of farro to make this gluten free: The method for quinoa is pretty much the same, just keep an eye on it and adjust the time as needed (it may need a few more minutes).

Is This Winter Farro Salad Suitable for Meal Prep?

Unfortunately, arugula is a pretty fragile variety of lettuce, so it doesn’t hold up well when prepped ahead of time. It will get a bit soggy! With that said, I think this Winter Farro Salad is best eaten right away.

However, if you want to try meal prepping it, I would recommend leaving the dressing off until you’re ready to eat it. If you want to ensure the best results, you could even store the heavy toppings (orange slices, specifically) in a separate container than the lettuces. Either way, just make sure the crispy farro and toasted pecans are fully cooled before storing in the fridge.

Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.

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5 from 1 vote

Winter Farro Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Servings people

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Equipment

cutting board
knife
microplane zester
baking sheet + parchment paper
small bowl or jar
salad bowl + tongs