Once those hot spring days start to come and summer is on the horizon, all I want to eat are all the fresh grain salads. Grain salads are truly the best because they usually require very little cooking, are great as leftovers, and can feature any ingredient currently in season. This Snap Pea, Arugula, & Farro Salad features the best greens of spring and will definitely be a salad you’ll be making all season long!
Grain salads here we come: Jump to Recipe
How to Make Any Grain Salad
There are a couple of key components to any great grain salad. While I used specific ingredients in this recipe, I hope you can walk away from this blog post ready to make any grain salad at home! So without further ado here’s what you need:
One: A Hearty Grain
I mean it is a grain salad after all! Farro is probably one of my favorite grains because of it’s nutty flavor. It’s also high in protein (8 grams per serving!) which makes it more filling than other grains. Farro isn’t gluten-free, so if that’s a concern you can always swap it out with quinoa, millet, buckwheat, or even brown rice. No matter what grain you use, my biggest piece of advice is to ALWAYS cook your grains in the vegetable broth for more flavor!
Two: Fresh Leafy Greens
I used arugula in this salad for the simple fact that…I have an arugula addiction! Arugula has a peppery taste that is SO addicting and adds much more flavor than boring iceberg lettuce. I also added in some fresh pea shoots because they add more pea flavor and taste amazing. Pea shoots can be hard to find in some geographies, so you can always replace them with microgreens or sprouts.
Fresh greens like arugula and pea shoots perfectly complement the heartier denser grains like farro in a salad. If arugula isn’t your thing, you can also swap it out with any other lettuce such as spinach, kale, or even romaine!
Three: Something Crunchy & Cooked!
What really makes a salad go from boring to amazing is a combination of textures. Your grain provides something smooth and chewy, your lettuce provides a fresh subtle bite, but now it’s time for some crunch! On the fresh side, I added in radish, which when sliced super thin is PERFECT in salads and has a really mild flavor! Then I charred some snap peas and toasted some pine nuts for something cooked and saltier in the dish.
Four: A Really Good Homemade Dressing
I’m definitely team homemade dressing 99% of the time. To make the Lemon Garlic dressing in this recipe all you need to do is blend some garlic, lemon, apple cider vinegar olive oil, salt, and pepper together for a creamy delicious dressing! If lemon and garlic aren’t your thing you can also check out this Pomegranate dressing or my favorite vegan pesto recipe that I use on pizzas and in many grain bowls I make.
How to Store Your Grain Salad for Leftovers
One of the most common questions I get asked is how to store leftovers. For this farro salad, I actually recommend storing each ingredient separately. When you’re ready to eat simply add the ingredients together in a dish and top with your dressing. If you do need to bring this with you for lunch, definitely store the dressing separately until you are ready to eat or it will make your greens soggy.
If you’re on the hunt for new storage containers I absolutely love these glass storage containers.
And for salad dressing, this Evriholder Dressing-2-Go is my favorite to go container!
A Healthy Vegan Grain Salad for Every Occasion
This Snap Pea, Arugula, & Farro Salad is Vegan, nutritious, and easy to store as leftovers so that you have a healthy lunch or dinner waiting for you all week long. I truly hope you love this easy and delicious grain salad as much as I do. Enjoy!
-TSG
If you’re looking for another healthy vegetable dish, these recipes are sure to be a hit:
Roasted Heirloom Tomato & Pumpkin Seed Pesto Toast
Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash
TJ’s Cauliflower Gnocchi with Butternut Squash Sauce & Roasted Veggies
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35-38 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 1 cup dried farro
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cups snap peas
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 3 radishes thinly sliced
- 1 cup pea shoots (can be replaced with microgreens or sprouts)
- 3 cups arugula
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- salt & pepper to taste
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Dressing
|
|
- Add your dried farro and vegetable broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook about 30 minutes until the farro is tender and chewy. Drain any excess water from the pot and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- While the farro is cooking, cook your snap peas. Add 1 Tbsp 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 5-8 minutes until snap peas are blistered. Add in the pine nuts for the last 1-2 minutes so they get slightly toasted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- While the farro and snap peas are cooling, make your dressing. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and garlic clove to a blender. Blend until a smooth and creamy dressing forms and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the radishes, pea shoots, arugula, cooked farro, and snap peas to a large mixing bowl. Then, pour the lemon garlic dressing on top and mix all the ingredients together. Serve and enjoy!
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