This Vegan Snap Pea Arugula Farro Salad features the best flavors of Spring! With hearty farro, crunchy pea shoots, spicy arugula, charred snap peas, & homemade lemon garlic dressing, this grain salad makes a great vegan lunch or dinner!
*Recipe shared June 2019 and updated June 2023*
There are a couple of key components to any great grain salad including a hearty grain, fresh leafy greens, something crunchy, something nutty, and a really great dressing. Luckily, this salad has them all!
If you loved my Chickpea Quinoa Arugula Salad or Roasted Potato Lentil Salad, then this snap pea farro salad is a must-make this Summer.
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Farro: I used Earthly Choice Organic Pearled Farro and love that it's easy and fast to cook.
- Vegetable broth: I prefer using Better than Bouillon vegetable base mixed with hot water in place of pre-packed broth.
- Snap peas: Can also be substituted 1:1 with snow peas, though they need less cooking time (about 2-3 minutes vs. 5 minutes) as they are thinner.
- Pine nuts: Can be substituted 1:1 for slivered or sliced almonds, cashews, or even pistachios for a nutty crunch.
- Pea shoots: Pea shoots are the edible leaves from a pea plant. They are delicious, crunchy, and have a mild pea flavor. You can substitute for sprouts, more arugula, or watercress.
- Keep in mind they add a very specific flavor to this dish and substituting them changes it quite a lot!
How to make a farro arugula salad:
Cook the farro
Farro is probably one of my favorite grains to cook with because of its nutty flavor. It's also high in protein (8 grams per serving!) which makes it more filling than other grains.
Some varieties of farro vary a bit in cooking time, so follow the package instructions to cook your farro.
No matter what brand you use, my biggest piece of advice is to ALWAYS cook your grains in vegetable broth for more flavor!
Char the snap peas & pine nuts:
While the farro is cooking, char the snap peas. You can cut off their stringy ends if you prefer, but I leave them on most of the time.
The snap peas only need about 5 minutes to cook. Then, add in the pine nuts and toast them with the snap peas for another minute.
Remove from the heat, set aside, and let the blistred snap peas cool slightly while you prep the rest of the salad ingredients.
Make the lemon dressing
I'm definitely on team homemade dressing 99% of the time, especially in this vegan grain salad.
To make the lemon garlic dressing, all you need to do is blend some olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, finely minced garlic, salt, and pepper together.
If lemon and garlic aren't your preference, you can also use any store-bought salad dressing for this farro arugula salad.
Prep the fresh ingredients:
I used peppery arugula in this snap pea salad for the simple fact that...I have an arugula addiction! If arugula isn't your thing, you can also swap it out with any other lettuce such as spinach, kale, or even romaine!
I also added fresh pea shoots because they add more pea flavor and a nice crunch to this salad. Pea shoots can be hard to find in some geographies, so you can always replace them with sprouts, watercress, or more arugula.
Lastly, we are using radish which adds a spicy and earthy flavor to this dish. Make sure to slice them thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline.
Assemble the salad:
Once all the ingredients are cooked and prepped, it's time to assemble this vegan farro salad!
Just add all of the ingredients to a large platter or mixing bowl, mix together, and serve!
FAQ & Tips:
How do I store this farro arugula salad?
For this vegan farro salad, I actually recommend storing the ingredients separately and only assembling the salad and adding the dressing when you are ready to serve.
The charred snap peas and pine nuts can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days but will lose their crispy texture over time. If you're on the hunt for new storage containers I absolutely love these glass storage containers.
Store the lettuce and pea shoots in their original container according to the listed expiration date.
The lemon garlic dressing can be stored in a closed container for about 7 days in the fridge. This Evriholder Dressing-2-Go is my favorite to-go container for liquids if you're looking to prep this dish for lunch!
Can I make this salad gluten-free?
Unfortunately, farro is made from wheat and is not gluten-free.
You can always swap it out with quinoa, millet, buckwheat, or even brown rice for a similar salad. My personal recommendation would be quinoa over the other options as it tends to work best in salads!
This Farro Arugula Salad with Charred Snap Peas is vegan, nutritious, and makes a great healthy lunch or dinner. I truly hope you love this easy and delicious farro grain salad as much as I do. Enjoy!
-TSG
More healthy salads & grain bowls you will love:
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Arugula Farro & Charred Snap Pea Salad
Ingredients
Farro:
- 1 cup dried farro
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Charred Snap peas:
Salad Ingredients:
- 4 cups arugula about 3 ounces
- 2 cup pea shoots (can be replaced with microgreens or sprouts, about 2 ounces)
- 4-5 radishes thinly sliced
Lemon Garlic Dressing:
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ½-1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook the farro:
- Add your dried farro and vegetable broth to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes until the farro is tender and chewy. Strain to drain any excess water from the pot and set the farro aside to cool to room temperature.
Make the charred snap peas:
- While the farro is cooking, cook your snap peas. You can leave them as is or cut off the pointy ends if you prefer. Then, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a cast iron skillet and turn on the heat.
- Once hot, add in the snap peas, chili flakes, and garlic powder. Cook on high for about 5 minutes until snap peas are blistered and charred.
- Then, add in the pine nuts and toast with the snap peas for about 1 minute until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Prep salad ingredients & dressing
- While the farro and snap peas are cooling, thinly slice the radish and set aside.
- Next, make the lemon garlic dressing. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, finely minced garlic, salt, & pepper to a small container and shake to combine. You can also blend the dressing ingredients together if you prefer a smoother dressing.
Assemble the salad:
- Add the radishes, pea shoots, arugula, cooked farro, and snap peas to a large platter or mixing bowl.
- Then, pour the lemon garlic dressing on top and mix all the ingredients together. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for recipe tips & substitution ideas.
- For this vegan farro salad, I recommend storing the ingredients separately and only assembling the salad and adding the dressing when you are ready to serve.
- The charred snap peas and pine nuts can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days but will lose their crispy texture over time. If you're on the hunt for new storage containers I love these glass storage containers.
- Store the lettuce and pea shoots in their original container and store them according to the expiration date.
- The lemon garlic dressing can be stored in a closed container for about 7 days in the fridge. This Evriholder Dressing-2-Go is my favorite to-go container for liquids!
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