Warm Farro Salad
A hearty warm farro salad with cumin-roasted chickpeas, carrots, freshly grated Parmesan, and a bright maple olive oil dressing.
This is a hearty grain salad that eats like a full dinner. The farro stays chewy, the chickpeas roast until crisp, the carrots turn tender and caramelized, and the cumin lemon maple dressing ties it all together.
I love how much texture is in one bowl here. The farro is cooked just like pasta in a big pot of salted boiling water, so there is no measuring the water and no worrying about the exact ratio, and the chickpeas and carrots roast at the same temperature while it cooks.
It’s also a great recipe to make ahead for lunches throughout the week. The farro holds its texture beautifully, and the cumin, lemon, and maple dressing adds plenty of flavor.
Main Ingredients & Swaps
- Farro: 2 cups dry farro, rinsed, cooked like pasta in salted water about 20 minutes, until tender but still chewy
- Roasted chickpeas: 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and patted dry, tossed with cumin, chili powder, salt, and maple syrup; make extra, they are good on their own for snacking
- Roasted carrots: 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces, with cumin, salt, pepper, and maple syrup
- Lemon maple dressing: olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced shallot, cumin, black pepper, salt, maple syrup, and whole grain mustard
- Parmesan and herbs: 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan stirred in, plus Parmesan shavings on top; fresh parsley or chopped arugula, optional
- Optional: To make it heartier, you could add shredded rotisserie chicken for extra protein.
Equipment I Use
You don’t need any special equipment for this warm farro salad, but a couple of my kitchen favorites make preparation easier:
- Nordic Ware Baking Sheets: I like using separate baking sheets for roasting the chickpeas and carrots so they have plenty of room to brown and caramelize.
- Microplane Zester: Perfect for finely grating fresh Parmesan over the warm farro salad and adding a little lemon zest to the dressing if desired.
How I Make It
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the chickpeas with cumin, chili powder, salt, maple syrup, and a drizzle of olive oil, spread them on a baking sheet, and roast until golden and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Toss the carrots in the same bowl with cumin, salt, pepper, maple syrup, and a drizzle of olive oil, spread them on a baking sheet, and roast at 400°F (200°C) until tender and caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the farro, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with 2 tsp salt, add the farro, and cook just as you would pasta, following the package directions, until tender but still chewy, then drain well.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.
Add the cooked farro to a large serving bowl with the roasted carrots and roasted chickpeas, stir in the finely grated Parmesan, drizzle over the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated, starting with some of the dressing and adding more as needed. Finish with Parmesan shavings and fresh parsley or arugula if desired.
For the crispiest chickpeas, make sure to pat them dry before tossing with the seasonings. Give them a stir every so often while roasting to help them brown evenly and get crispy on all sides.
Video
More Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed this warm farro salad, here are a few more dinner recipes you might like:
- Easy Canned Salmon Patties
- Cabbage Apple Slaw
- Loaded Veggie Burritos with Everything Green Sauce
- Spring Pesto Pasta with Arugula, Pistachios & Asparagus
Warm Farro Salad
Ingredients
For the farro
- 2 cups dry farro
- Water, for boiling
- 2 tsp salt
For the roasted chickpeas
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Olive oil, drizzle, for roasting
For the roasted carrots
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Olive oil, drizzle, to coat
For the lemon maple dressing
- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp whole grain mustard
For assembling
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Parmesan shavings, additional, for topping
- Fresh parsley or chopped arugula, optional
Instructions
- Roast the chickpeas: preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the cooked chickpeas with cumin, chili powder, salt, maple syrup, and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F (200°C) until golden and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Roast the carrots: add the carrots to the same mixing bowl. Season with cumin, salt, pepper, maple syrup, and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss until evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F (200°C) until tender and caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cook the farro: rinse the farro under cool water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with 2 tsp salt. Add the farro and cook just as you would pasta, following the package directions, until tender but still chewy. Drain well.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together the minced shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, salt, maple syrup, and whole grain mustard until well combined.
- Assemble: add the cooked farro to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted carrots and roasted chickpeas. Stir in the finely grated Parmesan. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated, starting with some of the dressing and adding more as needed. Finish with Parmesan shavings and fresh parsley or arugula if desired.
Video
Notes
- Cook farro just like pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, you do not need to measure the water precisely.
- Roasted chickpeas are delicious on their own, so feel free to make a little extra for snacking.
- Add shredded rotisserie chicken for extra protein.
- Leftovers: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reserve a little dressing to refresh the salad before serving.
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