For this month in the twelve months of grain, I selected a summery Mediterranean Farro Salad with lemony Greek Salad dressing. Here are the links to the salad and the dressing:
Mediterranean Farro Salad
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/farro-salad-recipe/
Lemony Greek Salad Dressing:
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/ladolemono-greek-salad-dressing/
Farro is an ancient grain from Mesopotamia rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals. It has a nutty flavor and is packed with fiber and protein. A serving of farro has 200 calories, 1.5g total fat. 0 saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, or sodium, 37g carbs, 7 g of fiber, and 7g of protein. It can help eliminate bloating and boost your immune system by protecting healthy bacteria already in you GI tract. Consuming 100% whole grains can help reduce the risks of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
It is a staple in Europe, especially Italy. It’s inexpensive, and works well in soups, stews, salads, casseroles, and risotto-style dishes.
The three common varieties of farro are Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt. Farro can be pearled, semi-pearled, or whole. Whole is the most nutritious, but it also has a longer cooking time. I used semi-pearled in this recipe.
This recipe is easy to make. The only cooked ingredient is farro. My semi-pearled farro was ready in 30 minutes. You can let the farro cool before making the salad or use it fresh off the stove as I did. The yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, and arugula (I used baby spinach) are colorful and make a pretty backdrop for the walnuts and feta cheese (I used a plant-based feta).
You could also add mushrooms, cucumbers, zucchini, tofu, bacon, chicken, beans, beets, or turkey to this recipe.
The lemony Greek salad dressing has a few simple ingredients and is delicious with the salad. I will be making this again and looking for other recipes for this tasty nutrition dense grain.
Grains in the Twelve Months of Grain:
January – White Rice – Stuffed peppers (my own recipe – check our January 2026 issue)
February – Teff – Spicy Chocolate Pudding – www.teffoo.com
March – Oats - https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/oatmeal-apple-carrot-cake-no-flour/3117668
April - Quinoa - Spinach Mushroom Quinoa Skillet Recipe – Healthy Meatless Dinner | Eatwell101
May - Amaranth https://food52.com/recipes/44888-amaranth-breakfast-porridge
June – Farro https://www.themediterraneandish.com/farro-salad-recipe/
Lemony Greek Salad Dressing: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/ladolemono-greek-salad-dressing/