This farro tabbouleh salad is a hearty twist on a classic, with lots of fresh parsley and dill, lemon, crisp cucumbers, and sweet cherry tomatoes. The walnuts and beans offer extra plant-based protein, making it the ideal grain salad for hot summer days. It is not a traditional tabbouleh salad but if you love tabbouleh, you'll love this one, too.
What is Farro Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh salad is a classic Middle Eastern dish made with bulgur wheat, lots of fresh herbs, lemon juice, fresh tomatoes, and more. It's simple, but filling and layered with bold, fresh flavors.
This simple recipe leans on those traditional flavors while adding more protein, healthy fats, and fiber to keep you going all day.
It's the ideal meal prep option for busy weeks and can be served as a main dish or filling side!
Why you’ll love this Farro Tabbouleh
- Loaded with fresh herbs and veggies
- Contains plenty of fiber and protein to serve as a complete meal
- Relies on very simple, fresh ingredients - nothing complicated or hard to find
- Can easily be made with your garden produce or fresh produce from the farmers market
- Serve it on its own or in grain bowls with kalamata olives and pita bread
Ingredients for Farro Tabbouleh
This is a super simple recipe that requires a short list of ingredients. Just be sure to use fresh herbs, not dried ones, and pearled farro. It's a specific type that cooks faster than other varieties, and has a nice nutty bite that really adds to this dish.
- Pearled farro - The pearling process removes the outer bran layer. This does reduce the amount of fiber somewhat, but also makes the farro cook much faster. You can often find pearled farro at many major grocery stores and health food shops.
- Cannellini beans - These are my go-to for almost any dish. They're mild and creamy with a neutral flavor, so you can pair them with any flavors you like.
- Veggies - Load up on simple, fresh ingredients, like cherry tomatoes and diced cucumber, for color and texture. They're also naturally hydrating, which is great during the warm summer months.
- Walnuts - For an added boost of healthy fats and a lovely crunch.
- Fresh herbs - Nothing adds quite the same fresh, aromatic flavor as fresh herbs. Parsley is a must for any type of tabbouleh, and this version also uses cilantro and green onions.
- Garlic, Lemon and Herb Dressing - This is a very bright, herbaceous dressing made with fresh parsley, dill, garlic, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. It's very simple to make and adds a refreshing brightness.
Bonus tip: Farro is a member of the wheat family and is not gluten-free. If you need to avoid gluten, try cooked brown rice or quinoa.
How to Make Farro Tabbouleh
You do need to take the time to cook the farro first, and allow it to cool. This will help keep the herbs tasting fresh and bright, as the hot farro can wilt the tender greens. The flavors in the dish are even better after it sits for a while, so consider making the whole thing the night before you need it.
- Cook farro according to package. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
- Make dressing in a high speed blender, by adding parsley, dill, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl add parsley, cilantro, cooked farro, beans, tomatoes, green onions, walnuts and cucumbers.
- Pour dressing over the top and mix well.
- Serve and enjoy.
Storing Suggestions
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The flavors are best at room temperature, so you may want to let the salad sit on the counter for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Tips for Making the Best Farro Tabbouleh
- Toast the walnuts. Toasting really brings out the full flavor of the walnuts. You can either toast them in a skillet over medium low heat or bake at 350F for about 8-12 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.
- Add the lemon zest. If you're using fresh lemons, grate the lemon zest for a major dose of flavor.
- Make it ahead of time. Prepping the salad the day before allows the flavors from the dressing and fresh herbs to really incorporate into the farro mixture. If possible, let the salad rest for at least an hour, if not overnight.
FAQs
Yes, of course. Tabbouleh is traditionally made with lots of fresh parsley, so I'd keep that as much as possible. Feel free to add some fresh mint leaves or chives, as well.
This recipe is really a complete meal on its own with plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fats, and lots of veggies. To make it a whole meal, feel free to serve it as a side with chickpea burgers, a vegan mezze platter, grilled veggies, and more. You can either serve it exactly as is, or served over a bed of salad greens or baby kale.
If you aren't into farro, the closest alternative is pearled barley, brown rice, or quinoa. I like to use larger grains here to give the salad even more texture, but really, any cooked grains work. You can even use orzo for a summery pasta salad.
Other Delicious Vegan Farro Recipes
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Farro Tabbouleh Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz pearled farro
- 1 cup parsley leaves coarsely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 15 oz can of cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cucumber chopped small
- ½ cup green onion green and white parts chopped
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
For Dressing:
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves only
- ½ cup fresh dill feathery leaves only
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 large lemons juiced
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 grinds fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Cook farro according to package. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
- Make dressing in a high speed blender, by adding parsley, dill, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth
- In a large bowl add parsley, cilantro, cooked farro, beans, tomatoes, green onions, walnuts and cucumbers.
- Pour dressing over the top and mix well.
- Enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.