Discover the ultimate comfort food with our warm farro salad recipe! Perfectly cooked farro meets caramelised pumpkin, crispy bacon, and fresh spinach in a hearty dish that’s both tasty and satisfying.

Why You’ll Love Warm Farro Salad

This warm farro salad recipe has the perfect blend of flavours and textures.

The nutty farro pairs beautifully with the sweet, caramelised Japanese pumpkin, creating a delicious balance. Crispy bacon adds a savoury, smoky depth, while fresh spinach, parsley, and marjoram infuse the dish with vibrant, herbaceous notes. 

The chopped almonds contribute a delightful crunch and nutty flavour, contrasting with the tender pumpkin and chewy farro.

Eat straight out of the skillet and serve warm. Just like our Purple Kale Millet Salad and Bulgur Salad with Mushrooms, this recipe is comforting and hearty, making it ideal for cooler weather or a satisfying meal on its own. 

What Is Warm Farro Salad?

Warm Farro Salad is a hearty and comforting dish that features farro—a nutty, chewy grain—as the main ingredient, combined with a variety of flavourful and textural components. 

Farro is cooked until tender and mixed with other ingredients while still warm, enhancing the overall comfort and richness of the dish.

Unlike cold salads, this version is served warm, making it ideal for cooler weather or when you’re craving something satisfying and cozy.

What Is Fall Farro Salad?

Fall farro salad is a seasonal dish that captures the essence of autumn with its rich, earthy flavours and comforting ingredients. It is combined with fall vegetables and fruits that highlight the season’s produce.

The hearty grain serves as a robust base, providing a nutty flavour and satisfying chewiness.  Ingredients like roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or Brussels sprouts add warmth and depth to the salad. 

Cheese is optional but often included. Cheeses such as feta, goat cheese, or sharp cheddar can add creaminess and tang.

Generally, on the hearty side, a good fall farro salad is one that promotes rich flavours and brings comfort to any meal.

Ingredients

These are the ingredients you need for warm farro salad:

• Farro: Using pearled farro for a quicker cook. But you can, of course, use any farro you wish. Just follow the instructions below for how to cook farro perfectly.

• Water and broth: Mixing both water and broth for this recipe. With the strong salty flavours of the bacon, we don’t need a full broth cook. This will just give it a subtle taste.

• Japanese Kent pumpkin: One of our most favourite pumpkins to use. Ever so versatile and surprisingly sweet once roasted.

• Spinach: Using normal English spinach. But you can use baby spinach leaves, too, if you don’t want to have to deal with the stems.

• Bacon bits: Grab about 200g from the deli, all diced up and ready to go. 

• Herbs: Flat leaf parsley and marjoram will enhance the flavour profile.

• Almonds: Needing some crunch and the chopped almonds will do the trick.

Variations and Substitutions

Different vegetables: Substitute the Japanese pumpkin with roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash for a different sweet, earthy flavour. Or you can roast Brussels sprouts for a slightly bitter, crispy addition.

Alternative greens: Use other greens like kale or Swiss chard if you prefer a different flavour or texture.

Added protein: Add grilled or shredded chicken or turkey for extra protein. Marinated and baked tofu can provide a vegetarian protein option.

Nuts and seeds: Use pecans or walnuts instead of almonds for a different nutty flavour. Pumpkin seeds can also be used for a different crunch and seasonal touch.

Other herbs: Use thyme or sage in place of marjoram for a different herbaceous note.

Cheese: Add crumbled feta or goat cheese for extra creaminess and tang.

Instructions

Step by step instructions for how to make warm farro salad:

Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F.

Rinse the farro thoroughly.

Place in a saucepan and add water and broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer. For pearled farro, boil for 10 to 20 minutes; for semi-pearled farro, 20 to 30 minutes; and for whole farro, up to 40 minutes. If there is excess liquid after farro is cooked to al dente, discard. 

Cut the pumpkin into thin wedges and remove the skin. Baste a sheet pan with ½ tbsp of olive oil. Place the pumpkin flat in a single layer. Baste top side with the rest of the olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes.

Cut roots off the spinach and wash to remove all the dirt. If spinach is long, cut in half.

In a frying pan or skillet, fry bacon bits.

When cooked, add spinach. Sauté until cooked and wilted.

Turn the heat off and add farro, herbs, almonds, salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.

Tuck pumpkin slices on the side.

Serve.

Frequently Asked Questions