This farro salad with Tangerines and Dried Blueberries is an easy, make ahead, vegetarian salad that features Melissas Shasta Gold Tangerines.
Inspired by the Moroccan tradition of combining fruits with grains, I developed this farro salad to take advantage of some beautiful Shasta Gold Tangerines from Melissa's Produce. Sweet, nutty with just a hint of exotic spices, this Farro Salad with Tangerines and Dried Blueberries is my answer to dreary weather! Juicy tangerines, chewy, nutty farro and sweet dried blueberries wrapped in a sweet citrus dressing, this farro salad is fabulous served alongside pork or chicken, or great by it's little old self for lunch!
So what exactly is farro??
Farro is an ancient grain and refers to the seed of 3 different wheat varieties - einkorn, emmer and spelt. Nutty with some spice undertones, it's been used throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East for centuries - and has now become popular in the U.S. Farro is delicious added to soups, as a side dish when cooked like risotto, or in this Farro Salad with Tangerines and Dried Blueberries!
Tips for Making Farro Salad with Tangerines and Dried Blueberries
- Look for semi pearled farro - which is sometimes called "quick cooking farro" since it cooks in about 15 minutes.
- If possible, make this salad a day ahead. This gives the farro a chance to really absorb the flavor of the dressing!
- If you can't find farro, use barley!
- Feel free to add canned garbanzo beans or feta for more protein!
📖Recipe
Farro Salad with Tangerines and Dried Blueberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup Melissas dried farro
- 4 Melissas Shasta Gold Tangerines
- ½ cup Melissas Dried Blueberries
- ½ cup minced fresh parsley
- ½ cup sliced fresh mint
- ¼ cup pistachios
- 12 mint leaves for garnish optional
- Dressing:
- ¾ cup fresh squeezed Melissas Shasta Gold Tangerines about 2 tangerines
- 2 tsp. orange blossom honey
- ¾ tsp. garam masala
- ¼ tsp. white pepper
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- For Dressing: Place tangerine juice in a small saucepan and boil until juice is reduced by half. Cool.
- In a small bowl, combine the cooled tangerine juice and honey. Whisk to combine. Add the garam masala, pepper and salt. Whisk until salt has dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil. Set dressing aside. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead - cover and refrigerate and bring to room temperature before using).
- For Salad:
- Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Season water with salt. Add the farro and continue to boil for 16 - 18 minutes or until farro is cooked through (farro should be chewy but not hard). Drain farro and rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.
- Over a small bowl, peel and section two of the tangerines. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the farro, tangerine sections, dried blueberries, parsley and mint. Drizzle the dressing over and toss to combine. Divide salad among bowls and garnish with pistachios and mint leaves if using.
Recipe Notes
- This salad can be made a day ahead. Keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
The Greedy Kiwi says
Mmmm! I love farro! This looks divine!
Nancy says
Thanks!!!
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says
Nancy - I'm a big citrus lover, too...in all its many varieties. But I have to admit that I've not tried farro. Now I'm curious and will have to seek some out.
I really love the Melissa's brand and wish our local stores carried a wider variety of their products. Maybe you can drop a hint to them to push for more variety shipped to north Georgia 🙂
Nancy says
Will definitely pass that along to Melissa's!! My husband always laughs at me when the first thing on my list is lemons - seriously can't cook without them or any other citrus for that matter!! As to farro, there is some disagreement over exactly what type of wheat Farro is - it seems that the most common one is Emmer, which is an ancient grain - what I do know is that I love it - it's a little chewy and has a lovely nutty flavor so it pairs beautifully with both fruits and all kinds of savory ingredients as well. Plus, it cooks much faster than wheatberries - a definitely plus in my book!
Amanda says
Look at that beautiful salad! Great job!
Nancy says
Thanks Amanda! These kind of salads are great for heart health!!!
fabiola@notjustbaked says
This is such a pretty salad, and so filling with the farro. I make a huge salad every week, or twice a week to have something filling and healthy at my fingertips. I will need to make this one soon. I used to live in Sacramento for most my life until two years ago I moved to the Portland area. So I grew up with amazing citrus, and I am just getting used to the citrus not being available as much as where I grew up. But I just picked up a huge batch of tangerines and oranges from California, so salad here I come!
Nancy says
I do take for granted how much produce is available here in California! Enjoy your citrus and I hope you enjoy the salad!!!
Madonna says
Those tangerines look wonderful. I like that they have little pith. If I can find them I want to try to make some marmalade. Trader Joes is carrying 10 Minute Farro. Would this be appropriate to use in this salad?
Laura says
Love this! Pinning!
Nancy says
Awww.. thanks Laura!!!
aida mollenkamp says
Nancy, what an interesting flavor combination - it sounds like a great meatless meal.
Nancy says
I wasn't too sure about it when I thought about it but once I put it together I finished off the whole bowl!!!
Mark says
What a refreshing and nutritious find. The tangerine photos are great.