Green Bean Farro Salad
This hearty green bean farro salad recipe includes tangy feta cheese and a simple oil and vinegar dressing for a good and good for you side dish!
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- 🌟 Why this recipe works
- 🧐 What is farro?
- 🫛 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🧐 Recipe FAQs
- 🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
- 😍 Other salad recipes we love!
- ⭐️ We want to know what you think!
- Green Bean Farro Salad
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: A simple, hearty vegetarian side dish built around chewy farro, crisp-tender green beans, and crumbled feta cheese tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Calories: 366
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Good For: An easy side dish, using in-season green beans, ways to use farro, whole grain recipe ideas.
🌟 Why this recipe works
This recipe is what happens when your favorite summer vegetables decide they want something a little more substantial than lettuce as part of their salad.
In this substantial summer grain salad, crisp green beans bring the fresh crunch, farro shows up with its wonderfully nutty flavor and texture, and creamy feta cheese makes sure every bite has just the right salty tang.
Then a simple balsamic and olive oil dressing gently ties everything together without trying to steal the spotlight. It’s a salad the people keep doing that “just one more forkful….” thing. 😁
And here’s my favorite part: this is one of those magical recipes that somehow gets better as it sits. The farro happily soaks up all those delicious flavors, making it perfect for advance meal prep, picnics and potlucks.
Add some cooked chicken or shrimp if you want some protein in there, toss in some additional veggies if you want to, or leave it exactly as it is and enjoy a side dish that’s so good, don’t be surprised if it becomes the main event.
🧐 What is farro?
Farro is a delightful whole grain, kind of like barley. It’s packed with protein and fiber, and has a delectable, chewy texture and a nutty flavor. You can swap in farro for pretty much any recipe that calls for barley…and vice versa!
You can usually find farro right next to the rice and the barley in your friendly neighborhood grocery store. I highly recommend having some on hand at all times! You might get a strong hankering for a farro chicken salad one day. 😄
Not only does this make a fantabulous green bean salad side dish, but you can turn it into a full-fledged main course by adding shredded cooked chicken, cooked shrimp, chunks of tofu, or whatever your favorite protein is.
Yes to the yes…let’s make it!
🫛 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Farro: Look for this nutty whole grain near the rice in your supermarket. You can also substitute brown rice or barley if you like.
- Feta Cheese: This salty, tangy cheese is usually in the fancy cheese section. We like to use a block instead of the already crumbled kind for the freshest flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is a rich, slightly sweet Italian vinegar made from cooked grape juice that’s aged to develop its deep, tangy flavor. Look for it with the vinegars and olive oils in your store.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add two cups of trimmed green beans. Simmer for three minutes until they are crisp-tender, then pour them into a strainer and run them under cool water so they stop cooking.
STEP 2: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil (you can use the same pot!) and add a cup of farro and a pinch of salt. Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until farro is tender, adding a little more water if it needs it (I like to start checking it after 20 minutes or so). Drain.
STEP 3: Pop the green beans and farro in a mixing bowl. Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss.
STEP 4: Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese and give one more gentle toss. Grind a little more pepper on top and serve either warm or at room temperature.
🧐 Recipe FAQs
You can use barley, or even brown rice. But I really hope you find some farro – it’s the best!
100% yes! It’s the perfect salad to throw together on the weekend and have leftovers for busy weekday lunches, or to bring to a picnic.
No worries, I got you! Balsamic vinegar has a fair amount of sweetness to it, so take a tablespoon of red wine or apple cider vinegar, mix in a half teaspoon of sugar, and you have pretty good substitution!
Pop your question in the Comments section below the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Medium Pot: We have a drawerful of these, but this pot is the one we reach for first.
- Metal Bowls: We love these lightweight bowls for everything from mixing up dough for Snickerdoodle cookies to being casual serving dishes!
- Strainer: This classic version is just right for these potatoes and your favorite pasta recipe (one of ours is pasta with egg sauce!)
😍 Other salad recipes we love!
⭐️ We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.
Green Bean Farro Salad
This hearty green bean farro salad recipe includes tangy feta cheese and a simple oil and vinegar dressing for a good and good for you side dish!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups green beans, trimmed
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup farro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add green beans. Simmer for three minutes until they are crisp-tender (or 4-5 minutes if you like them softer), then drain and run them under cool water so they stop cooking.
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add farro and salt. Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until farro is tender, adding a little more water if it needs it. Drain.
- Place green beans and farro in a mixing bowl. Add vinegar and olive oil and toss.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add crumbled feta cheese and give one more gentle toss. Grind a little more pepper on top and serve either warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Farro: Look for this nutty whole grain near the rice in your supermarket. You can also substitute brown rice or barley if you like.
- Feta Cheese: This salty, tangy cheese is usually in the fancy cheese section. We like to use a block instead of the already crumbled kind for the freshest flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is a rich, slightly sweet Italian vinegar made from cooked grape juice that’s aged to develop its deep, tangy flavor. Look for it with the vinegars and olive oils in your store.
This looks like the perfect summer recipe!
And your organized fridge–I am drooling with envy. It’s amazing!
Everyone else in my house thinks I am a little bonkers, but I do love my organized fridge! :)