Whether you’re headed to a summer gathering or enjoying some warm-weather food at home, my Caprese Farro Salad is the way to go! It couldn’t be easier to make and is loaded with ingredients everyone loves, like fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and the best balsamic vinaigrette!
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A lighter summer salad
As much as I love pasta salads and deli salads for summer, sometimes we need a break from the heavier ingredients (namely, mayo and pasta), and that’s when I make my Caprese farro salad.
Farro is an ancient grain that’s similar to barley, and has a fantastic nutty flavor that’s perfect with the tomato, basil, and mozzarella that make this salad “Caprese”.
This salad travels well so is a great option to bring with you to gatherings and is also great alongside your favorites from the grill, like grilled chicken thighs, grilled pork chops, or marinated London broil.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Farro. As mentioned above, farro is a grain that is similar to barley. It can usually be found in your grocery store near the rice and other grains. If you can’t find farro, rice or pasta can be used instead.
- Fresh mozzarella. I’m using ciliegine which are small balls of fresh mozzarella. I use these in several recipes, including my easy caprese pasta and tomato mozzarella salad. You can also use even smaller fresh mozzarella pearls, or you can buy a large ball of fresh mozz and slice it into bite-sized pieces.
- Tomatoes. The freshest cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are best for this farro Caprese salad.
- Basil. Fresh basil leaves are recommended. I don’t ever recommend using dried basil.
- Arugula. I love adding arugula to this salad to add flavor, texture, and greens!
- Vinaigrette. This salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar, shallot, honey, dijon, and extra virgin olive oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Top tips
- Farro. Since the cook time for farro can vary (30-40 minutes), it’s best to taste test and cook until it’s tender, not necessarily what the clock says.
- The dressing. I 100% recommend using the vinaigrette recipe below. It really takes very little time and effort and is so much better than any store-bought dressing.
- Glaze. Where I will reach for store-bought, is with the glaze. Cento and Trader Joe’s both have great balsamic glazes. I usually add a drizzle at the end and serve it on the table for anyone who wants more. You can also use the balsamic glaze recipe I use in my Tuscan-style glazed ribs.
More salads you’ll love
If you’re looking for lighter, healthy-ish salads, give these a try!
- Italian tuna and white bean salad
- Summer shaved zucchini salad
- Easy mixed bean salad
- Italian potato and green bean salad
- Italian white bean salad
If you’ve enjoyed this Caprese Farro Salad, give it a 5-star rating.
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Caprese Farro Salad
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup (120ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1 large shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon (22g) honey plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) uncooked pearled farro
- 2 cups (50g) arugula
- 1/2 pound (226g) mozzarella balls halved if larger balls
- 1 pound (454g) cherry tomatoes halved
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 packed cup basil leaves
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Instructions
For the vinaigrette
- Whisk all of the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
For the salad
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the farro. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender (30-40 minutes). Drain the cooked farro and rinse under cold water to cool it off. Let the farro drain to remove excess water.
- Add the farro, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and arugula to a large bowl and drizzle over 1/3 of the vinaigrette to start. Taste test and if needed, add more of the vinaigrette. Season well with salt and pepper and mix in the basil leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
- Farro cook time. Cook the farro until it is tender while still having a bit of a bite and texture. For pearl farro, the cook time should be anywhere from 30-40 minutes.
- Tomatoes. Use the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find.
- Balsamic glaze. A store bought or this recipe for balsamic glaze looks great drizzled over the finished salad.
- Leftovers. Caprese farro salad can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hello. Long-time viewer and Patreon here. This looks delicious and very easy to make. The ingredients for the glaze in your Tuscan Ribs recipe includes a sprig or rosemary. If making this glaze for the Caprese Farro Salad, would you include the rosemary or not?
Hi Mickey, great question. You can include the rosemary or omit, it’s up to you. I would personally omit it because I like the basil to really stand out as the dominant herb in this dish, but you could really do it either way. Thanks for your support all this time!
This sounds like such a nice break from pasta salads – not one of my favorites.
BUT…I absolutely love a mix of bulgur and vermicelli. How do you feel about using that instead of the farro? I’ve never tasted farro – is it similar to bulgur/vermicelli?
Thank you and your family for all the great dishes and inspirations you provide.
Hi Andrea, thanks for the comment! It is similar to bulgur, but I wouldn’t say it’s similar to vermicelli. You could definitely use bulgur, though I’m not sure how the cook time would differ; you’d have to follow the package instructions.
Love how refreshing this salad is, not to mention beautiful AND delicious. I added some hearts of palm which I think is sorely under utilized. Thanks for another winner!
We’re so happy you liked it, Deb!