This Pesto Farro Salad is perfect for busy nights, meal prep or when you want something fresh, filling and flavourful.
Why You’ll Love Pesto Farro
With roasted veggies, hearty farro, white beans and a bright and zesty pumpkin seed pesto, this salad is simple, wholesome and so satisfying. Here’s why I think you’ll love it:
- Loaded with Veggies: Zucchini, peppers, eggplant, red onion, tomato and greens. It’s colourful and nutritious!
- Protein + Fibre-Rich: Between the farro, white beans, pumpkin seeds and veggies, it has 23g protein and 16g fibre per serving to help keep you full.
- Meal Prep: Everything holds up well so you can make it in advance for lunches or make-ahead dinners.
- Customizable: Use whatever veggies you have, add extra protein, use a different grain, it’s a flexible recipe you can customize to your liking.
- Warm or Cold: I like serving it warm when fresh but the leftovers are delicious cold too.
- Pumpkin Seed Basil Pesto! Bright, zesty and easy to blend up in minutes. You’ll love the pesto in this recipe and others.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Farro: Farro works really well due to it’s hearty, firm texture. Barley would be a good substitute or if you need a gluten-free option, brown rice or quinoa. If you have extra farro, try this Vegan Farro Bowl and Mediterranean Farro Bowls.
- Veggies: The recipe calls for zucchini, red onion, tomato, bell pepper and eggplant and those make a very delicious combo but if you’re missing one, that’s ok. Extra eggplant can be used in this Thai Basil Eggplant.
- Artichoke Hearts: You can use canned or jarred artichoke hearts, either plain or marinated works. If you have extra, use them in this Chickpea Lentil Salad.
- White Beans: You can substitute canned chickpeas or lentils.
- Spinach and Arugula Mix: If you can’t find a mix you can use either or. You could also substitute kale but softer spinach or arugula are best here.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Look for raw pumpkin seeds without added oil or salt, they may be labelled pepitas.
- Miso: White miso paste is best here for it’s mild flavour but you can sub a different variety if that’s what you have.
Variations
There are lots of ways to mix and match ingredients. Here are some ideas for variations:
- Add Protein: Add baked tofu, chickpeas, tempeh, chicken or prawns. I’d suggest the lemon herb tofu from these Roasted Veggie Bowls.
- Extras: Try olives, sun dried tomatoes or feta.
- Grains: Try barley or orzo for a variation.
- Veggies: Try swapping out one of the veggies for asparagus, sweet potato or butternut squash.
- Pesto: Try making it with half basil and half parsley for a variation. You can also replace half the pumpkin seeds with walnuts, cashews, almonds or hemp seeds.
- Serving: Top with more pumpkin seeds, capers, olives or hummus.
FAQs
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as the veggies and greens won’t hold up well.
No, farro is not gluten-free so if you need a gluten-free recipe, you’ll need to substitute quinoa or brown rice.
Yes, it’s great for meal prep or making ahead. If you’re prepping it in advance, stir about half of the pesto into the salad, then keep the rest separate to spoon over each serving when you’re ready to eat. If you’re dividing it into individual containers, add a spoonful of pesto to each one before storing.
Expert Tips
- Salt farro cooking water. It makes a difference in flavour.
- Cut vegetables evenly. Aim to cut all the veggies roughly the same size so they roast evently.
- If pesto is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp water or extra lemon juice and mix again until you reach your desired consistency.
- Don’t mix all the pesto into the salad, save some for topping for more flavour!
If you try these Pesto Farro or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
For the Salad
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, about 2 ¼ cups
- 1 small zucchini, cubed, about 2 cups
- 1 red onion, sliced, about 2 cups
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped, about 1 ½ cups
- ½ eggplant, peeled and cubed, about 3 cups
- 1 cup uncooked farro, 185g
- 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (540 mL)
- 4-5 cups baby spinach & arugula mix, 85g
- Salt and pepper
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Roast Vegetables: To the prepared baking sheet, add tomatoes, zucchini, red onion, pepper and eggplant. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over top, then season with oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 25-30, tossing vegetables halfway through, until tender and golden-brown.
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 pint grape tomatoes, 1 small zucchini, cubed, 1 red onion, sliced, 1 red bell pepper, chopped, ½ eggplant, peeled and cubed
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Cook Farro: While the vegetables are roasting, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add farro. Cook for 28-30, until the grains are tender. Drain farro.
1 cup uncooked farro
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Make Pesto: While farro and vegetables cook, make pesto. To a food processor, add hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, basil, garlic, miso, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse and then blend, until smooth and combined. Season with salt to taste.
⅔ cup pumpkin seeds, 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, 1 garlic clove, 2 tsp white miso, ½ fresh lemon juiced, ¼ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, black pepper
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Assemble Salad: To a large bowl, add artichoke hearts, white beans, cooked farro, roasted vegetables, baby spinach and arugula mix. Spoon some pesto over top, then toss to combine. Divide salad between bowls or transfer to a serving platter. Spoon remaining pesto over top.
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped, 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (540 mL), 4-5 cups baby spinach & arugula mix
Mixed salad can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can lightly reheat or serve chilled. Not suitable for freezing.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 585kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 29g, Fiber: 16g
