Farro and Arugula Salad With Sweet Potato and Pomegranate

Name: Farro and Arugula Salad With Sweet Potato and Pomegranate
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 medium sweet potatoes; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon honey; ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon kosher salt (-plus more to taste); ½ cup semi-pearled farro; 2 cups arugula (-or spinach); 1 14-ounce can garbanzo beans (- cannellini beans are delicious too); ½ cup walnuts; ½ cup pomegranate arils; 4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese (-optional); 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar; 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses; 1 tablespoon honey; ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard; ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil; fine sea salt to taste -see notes

Is it a grain bowl or a salad? Does it matter? This farro and arugula salad with sweet potato and pomegranate has gone through a couple of name iterations, but the basic components have stayed the same: chewy, nutty farro, peppery arugula, tender sweet potato and sweet-tart pomegranate vinaigrette. You can call it whatever you like, I'll just call it hearty and delicious!

JUMP TO RECIPE

Farro and arugula salad in a white bowl with salad tossers. Garnished with sweet potatoes, pomegranate arils, walnuts, and goat cheese.

This farro salad recipe was born from leftovers in my refrigerator. That's not an unusual origin story for meals at Parsley & Parm HQ, but they don't always come together in a way I want to replicate and repeat. In the case of this dish, the nutty, sweet, sour, and crunchy came together just right, and now I've got a new recipe for farro that makes a filling and delicious Mediterranean diet meal.

I write about the benefits of whole grains frequently, and farro, in particular, has earned a regular spot in my pantry. This recipe for baked farrotto with basil-walnut pesto is still one of my favorite dishes to serve to health-conscious dinner guests. I also love that farro packs a big punch of fiber, protein, and minerals that puts it miles ahead of rice nutritionally.

This farro and arugula salad is not just nutritionally dense, it's also really filling. Because it contains a whole grain and a legume, it includes all of the amino acids to make a complete protein. It will fill you up quickly and keep you full for several hours, which helps limit caloric intake and manage blood sugar.

Make it a meal prep lunch!

This farro salad recipe makes an excellent meal prep lunch to take to work or school. You can cook the farro, roast the sweet potatoes, and mix the vinaigrette up to three days ahead. Pack the farro, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, goat cheese, and pomegranate arils in a take-along salad container, and add the arugula on top. Keep the pomegranate vinaigrette on the side.

I like to use these containers with twist-on lids to securely pack salad dressing.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the farro and arugula salad:

Ingredients for farro and arugula salad with sweet potatoes and pomegranate: semi-pearled farro, kosher salt, honey, olive oil, arugula, goat cheese, cinnamon, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, pomegranate arils, walnuts, and pomegranate vinaigrette.

Sweet potatoes - I always buy extra and make the sweet potatoes as a side dish for dinner, saving the leftovers for this farro and arugula salad. I use garnet yams.

Extra virgin olive oil - I use Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Graza "Sizzle" Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Honey - I buy most of my honey from Golden Girls Honey and Hives here in Woodinville, WA. Whatever honey you use, make sure it's 100% honey, and raw if possible (note: do not serve raw honey to babies or people with compromised immune systems).

Cinnamon - The cinnamon is great with the pomegranate and makes the flavor of this dish really interesting. You can leave it out if you prefer.

Kosher salt - I use Morton's Kosher Salt.

Semi-pearled farro - I buy Bob's Red Mill Semi-Pearled Farro. Be sure to rinse your farro before you cook it. For a gluten-free option, you can substitute quinoa or brown rice.

Arugula - Spinach (give it a quick chop), or spring mix will also work.

Garbanzo beans - Cannellini beans are also really good in this recipe. I always rinse my canned beans well after draining.

Walnuts - Super high in Omega 3 fats, walnuts are really healthy and add a nice crunch to this salad. You can also use pecans.

Pomegranate arils - Some people don't like the texture of the arils; they can be left out if you're not a fan. If you can't find fresh pomegranate or pomegranate arils, Safeway/Albertsons stores usually carry them in the frozen fruit section.

Crumbled goat cheese -This is totally optional, but absolutely delicious!

For the pomegranate vinaigrette:

Ingredients for pomegranate vinaigrette: Olive oil, pomegranate molasses, Champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and fine sea salt.

Champagne vinegar - I love the O California Champagne vinegar pictured above. It's available at many supermarkets, or you can find it on Amazon.

Pomegranate molasses - Sadaf California Pomegranate Molasses is the best I've found. I buy mine at my local Persian grocer, or you can find it on Amazon.

Honey - As I mentioned above, make sure your honey is pure 100% honey.

Dijon mustard - I use Maille Dijon mustard, use whatever you have on hand. Do not substitute yellow mustard (it would be better to just leave it out).

Extra-virgin olive oil - For small amounts of salad dressing, I like to use Graza's "Drizzle" Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Fine sea salt - I use fine sea salt to season my salad dressings because it is less salty and gives me the ability to fine tune the seasoning.

If you love this pomegranate vinaigrette you'll want to check out Pear and Fennel Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

FAQ: Farro and arugula salad

Does farro have gluten?

Farro is a type of wheat, so yes, it does contain gluten. If you eat a gluten-free diet, you can substitute any gluten-free grain such as quinoa or brown rice.

Can farro be cooked in a rice cooker?

Absolutely! Using a rice cooker an easy to cook farro for any farro salad recipe. Just add one cup of rinsed farro to your rice cooker with three cups of water, and set it to cook for 45 minutes. Test the farro for doneness, and strain out any remaining water.

How can I crisp my wilted arugula?

Arugula can keep in the crisper for up to a week, but is prone to wilting. Soak wilted arugula into a bowl of ice water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain, and dry well in a salad spinner before using.

Is goat cheese vegetarian?

Goat cheese is traditionally made with animal rennet, which many vegetarians would prefer not to consume. However, some brands state on the label that they are made with vegetarian rennet (sometimes called microbial rennet).

Someone holds a bowl of farro salad with arugula, sweet potatoes, pomegranate, chickpeas, and goat cheese.

Prep ahead and storage

All of the components of this farro salad recipe can be prepared up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Assemble the salad as close to serving as possible, and dress it just before you eat.
Arugula breaks down fairly quickly after it's tossed with dressing, so while it will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator, I prefer to consume or toss any leftovers within a day.
To pack this farro salad as a meal prep lunch, keep the dressing separate, and layer the remaining ingredients in your take-along dish, leaving the arugula for the top.

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this farro and arugula salad with sweet potato and pomegranate, I’d love to hear what you think. I am always trying to get better at developing recipes, and your feedback helps me do that.

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@parsleyandparm) and use #HealthyRecipes. I love seeing your creations!

Arugula, sweet potato, farro, and pomegranate tossed together in a bowl with salad tossers sitting next to it.

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5 from 4 votes