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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Vegetarian Side Dishes

    Farro Caprese Salad With Mozzarella By Oh My Veggies.com

    Published: May 25, 2015 · by Joanne · Updated: Sep 16, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Most people count Memorial Day as the Official Start of Summer, but for me it's less about the passing of a specific date and more about a certain feeling that starts to take over both myself and everyone around me. At least in the cities I've lived in, as soon as warm weather hits and seems like it's here to stay, the change in mood is almost palpable. It's like we've been released from the winter freeze, and man does it feel good. Restaurants with outdoor seating become packed (even on weeknights!), Central Park is alive again with bicyclists, runners, and walkers, people slow down and just look generally happy - it's a good feeling.

    And then, of course, there's the food aspect of it. Just like it wouldn't feel like fall without pumpkin or spring without asparagus, I refuse to even entertain the idea of summer until I've had my first caprese salad. There's something about the simple, yet undeniably perfect combination of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella that embodies the spirit of summer with its fresh, clean flavors.

    Farro Caprese Salad
    I've eaten caprese salad on its own for dinner on more occasions than I care to admit, mostly due to a lack of self control on my part, but every summer I try to come up with a new way to incorporate it into a main meal. This year, I've been really into farro as a base for grain salads. I just love its nutty flavor and chewy texture, and the fact that it takes only 15 minutes to cook is an added bonus (a rarity in the world of whole grains!). Obviously I couldn't resist combining the two, resulting in this delicious farro caprese salad!

    This salad is a cinch to make, combining farro with cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls, making it perfect for those days when you don't want to spend too much time in front of the stove. Topped with a basil vinaigrette that comes together in the food processor in minutes and a toasted pine nut garnish, it is a true 30 minute meal and the kind that you'll want to keep in your fridge for random caprese cravings all summer long.

    Recipe

    Farro Caprese Salad

    Farro Caprese Salad

    A summery grain salad that's perfect for work lunches and picnics.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Keyword: Farro Caprese Salad, grain salad, vegetarian salad recipe
    Servings: 4 -6 servings
    Calories: 735kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups farro
    • 4 cups water
    • 12 ounces cherry tomatoes quartered
    • 10 ounces small fresh mozzarella balls quartered
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1 cup basil leaves packed
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
    • 1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar
    • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
    • Salt to taste
    • ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a medium pot, combine the farro and the water with a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 13-15 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the farro is tender. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
    • In a large bowl, toss together the cooked farro with the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella.
    • To make the dressing, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic and basil. Pulse until minced, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the olive oil, parmesan cheese, champagne vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Pulse again until combined and smooth. Season to taste with salt.
    • Toss the dressing with the farro salad. Serve topped with toasted pine nuts.

    Notes

    If you can't find the small fresh mozzarella balls (sometimes called bocconcini or ciliegine) you can always use a large fresh mozzarella ball and cut it into smaller chunks.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 735kcalCarbohydrates: 83gProtein: 26gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 542mgFiber: 17gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 779IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 340mgIron: 4mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
    « Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Avocado Quesadillas
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    Salads, Snack Recipes, Vegetarian Main Dishes, Vegetarian Recipes, Vegetarian Side Dishes farro, salad, summer, tomatoes, whole grains

    Joanne Bruno from Eats Well With Others

    About Joanne

    Joanne Bruno is the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind the mostly ridiculous and always delicious vegetarian food blog Eats Well With Others. She likes her vegetables with a side of cupcakes and takes a highly hyperbolic approach to most things in life.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joe @ Baking Planet says

      May 25, 2015 at 11:07 am

      Delicious love the different combinations you've got going on with the textures, I'm not vegetarian but love meals like this. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        May 26, 2015 at 4:52 pm

        My husband isn't vegetarian and he loved this also! Definitely a good meal for those who are veg or omnivores!

        Reply
    2. Léa (Savoure la Vie) says

      May 25, 2015 at 8:28 pm

      This recipe looks really yummy!! I have to try it
      Léa

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        May 26, 2015 at 4:52 pm

        Thanks so much Léa! Definitely let us know if you do!

        Reply
    3. Millie | Add A Little says

      May 26, 2015 at 2:49 am

      I love farro and I find it works so well in salads!

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        May 26, 2015 at 4:54 pm

        It's definitely my favorite salad grain at the moment. I love that it has the chewy texture of barley and wheat berries but cooks in much less time.

        Reply
    4. Jamie Lulabel says

      May 27, 2015 at 10:03 pm

      This was so good! My husband (omnivore) and I (vegetarian) don't care for pine nuts, so we topped it with roasted salted pumpkin seeds. Dee-lish!

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        July 07, 2015 at 7:44 am

        So glad you enjoyed it! I'll have to try it with the pumpkin seeds!

        Reply
    5. Kate Irene says

      July 13, 2015 at 8:12 pm

      We couldn't stop eating this. Perfect summer salad. Yum yum!!

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        July 14, 2015 at 12:04 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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