Farro With Fennel Oranges Almonds (Printable)

Wholesome Mediterranean grain salad with nutty farro, crisp fennel, fresh citrus, and toasted almonds in a bright citrus dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Grain

01 - 1 cup uncooked whole grain farro
02 - 3 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Produce

04 - 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced with fronds reserved for garnish
05 - 2 large oranges, peeled and segmented
06 - 2 cups arugula or baby spinach
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

→ Nuts

08 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
11 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Rinse farro under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine farro, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes until farro is tender yet chewy. Drain excess water and allow to cool completely.
02 - While farro cooks, toast sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled farro, sliced fennel, orange segments, arugula or spinach, and fresh parsley.
04 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper until thoroughly emulsified.
05 - Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
06 - Add toasted almonds and toss lightly. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes restaurant-quality but comes together in under an hour, making you feel like you've genuinely accomplished something at lunch.
  • The fennel and citrus combination is addictive in a way that surprises people who think they don't like either ingredient solo.
  • It keeps beautifully in the fridge, so you can make it on Sunday and actually eat well all week without boredom.
02 -
  • Do not dress this salad more than a few hours ahead, or the fennel turns into mush and the arugula wilts into an unappetizing shadow of itself.
  • The dressing needs that moment of whisking to emulsify properly—don't just shake it in a jar and call it done, because it'll separate and taste unbalanced.
03 -
  • Segment your oranges over a bowl to catch all that juice, then use that liquid in your vinaigrette—it's free and more flavorful than store-bought.
  • Toast your almonds the morning of if you're serving this later, because they stay crisper that way and the toasted flavor lasts longer.
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