This lemony lentil and farro salad is perfect for spring, and is so simple and easy to make. I love to make up a batch and have it with lunches throughout the week. Lentils are a great way to add protein and iron to your meals, and farro is a delicious and chewy whole grain that pairs perfectly with the lentils — put them together and you have a nutrition powerhouse!
When dreaming up this simple and delicious lemony lentil and farro salad, I knew I wanted something to use the parsley and lemon we had in the fridge, as well as the lentils we had in the pantry. We had just stocked up on some dry green lentils, and I was craving something new to make with them. It had to be easy, and simple to put together, and I think this salad is the perfect answer.
After deciding on lentils, the parsley, and lemon, I thought I would like to add a grain in there too — quinoa was one that I considered, but after mulling it over for a moment, I knew farro was the perfect choice!
What is farro?
Farro is a whole grain in the wheat family. When cooked, it has a chewy texture similar to barley, and a slightly nutty flavor that pairs well with many foods. It makes a great side dish on it’s own, or can be mixed into other dishes and salads to add texture and some great nutriton too! Farro is high in fiber, and is also a good source of protein, and iron too, making it a great grain to add in for vegetarian or vegan dishes.
How to make Lemony Lentil and Farro Salad
To start, you’ll cook your lentils and farro. Wait…let’s back up a moment.
To start, you’ll sort through your lentils. This is an important step you don’t want to skip!
Why do I need to sort through lentils?
Lentils often can have debris from the field that gets mixed in during harvest, and you will want to sort through carefully and pick out anything that shouldn’t be there — usually small pebbles or rocks.
And yes, you WILL find them there from time to time. Don’t skip this step, because you’re more likely to have a rock mixed in that you didn’t sort out only to bite down and chip a tooth when eating your food!
Ok, after you’ve sorted through the lentils, then you’ll cook them up, and the farro as well in a separate pot.
After the lentils have cooked, drain them and rinse in cool water in a colander. You can add the farro in there too after it’s done cooking and rinse it all together if you like. This removes the extra starch and also, as a bonus, helps to cool everything down so you can mix the salad up quickly.
Next, mix up the dressing using lemon juice, red wine vinegar, a little salt, and cumin. Add in the lentils, farro, and parsley — give it a good stir to mix it all together– and you’re done!
This lemony lentil and farro salad makes a great vegan side dish, and is perfect with lunch, dinner, or as a snack!
Lemony Lentil and Farro Salad
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
This lemony lentil and farro salad is an easy and delicious nutrition packed dish — lentils are a great way to add protein and iron to your meals, and farro is a delicious protein and fiber packed whole grain that pairs perfectly with the lentils. This vegan salad is perfect for spring or summer with fresh flavors from lemon and parsley.
Ingredients
For the salad
1/2 cup uncooked farro
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped (I measure about one packed cup before chopping)
For the dressing
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan or pot with a lid, add 1 cup water and 1/2 cup farro. Bring to a boil, and once boiling, turn heat down to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- In another medium saucepan or pot , add 3 cups water, and 1 cup lentils. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down heat to medium high and simmer for 15 minutes.
- While farro and lentils are cooking, wash and chop parsley.
- Also while farro and lentils are cooking, prepare dressing in a large mixing bowl by adding lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and cumin. Whisk until combined.
- Once lentils are done cooking, pour into a colander and rinse with cool water.
- Once farro is done cooking, drain any excess liquid. Allow to cool slightly.
- Mix the lentils and farro into the dressing. Serve.
Notes
Be sure to sort through your lentils and pick out any debirs or rocks before cooking!
Keywords: Vegan, Vegetarian, Lemon, Lentil, Farro, Salad, Sides, Mains, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Healthy, Whole Grain
I love this recipe but do you have any idea how difficult this very light gray type is to read? I’m 76 and wear glasses and can barely read it enlarged.
Thank you for a great recipe. Please ask others of all ages to read this and consider darkening type.
Hi Sharon! Thank you for your feedback on the type – I’ll see if I can make that easier to read. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Does it matter what type of lentils you use, such as green, red…?
★★★★★
Hi Kris! I have used both green and French lentils for this, and have not used red lentils with it before, so I’m not sure how these would work. Red lentils may be softer and break down more as they cook – if you try the recipe with them, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Ok. Thanks!
It seems like you left out adding olive oil to the dressing.
Oops, just updated that!