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Vegan Holiday Farro Salad

5 from 10 reader reviews
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6
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Ingredients

Farro

Roasted Carrots

  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced

Dressing

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Tamari soy sauce
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely minced or grated with a Microplane

Salad Assembly:

  • ½ small red onion, small dice (about ½ cup chopped onion)
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1-2 ripe Fuyu persimmons, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
  • 1 small head radicchio, chopped
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • handful crumbled vegan "feta" style cheese (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and set out two baking sheets.
  • Start the farro. In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the farro and vegetable stock. Give it a stir and place it over medium high heat. Once the farro is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot with the lid so that a little steam can escape. Cook until tender, but still chewy, and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and quickly spread the farro out in one of the baking sheets to cool it down quickly. Set aside.
  • Roast the carrots. While the farro is simmering, transfer the chopped carrots to the other baking sheet. Toss the carrots with the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme. Once evenly coated, spread the carrots out in a single layer and pop thyme in the oven for 25 minutes, or until slightly caramelized and tender on the edges. Set aside.
  • Make the dressing. Get yourself a jar with a sealable lid and inside of it, combine the following: the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, Tamari, salt, pepper, and garlic. Close the lid on tightly and give it a good shake. Once thoroughly mixed, give it a taste and adjust if necessary. Set aside.
  • Mix up the salad! In a large bowl, combine the cooked farro, roasted carrots, diced red onion, pomegranate seeds, chopped persimmon, mint, and radicchio. Give this mix a hearty season with salt and pepper and then pour all of the dressing on top. Gently toss the farro salad until evenly combined. Top the finished salad with the sliced almonds and crumbled vegan cheese, if using. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • The farro, roasted carrots, and dressing could be prepped and stored in sealed containers in your fridge up to 3 days in advance.
  • To make a gluten-free version of this salad, I recommend seeking out a wild rice blend like this one from Lundberg. Cook 1 cup according to package directions with vegetable stock instead of water is you like.
  • To make this soy-free, seek out coconut aminos instead of Tamari. I recommend doubling the amount to a full teaspoon if you're using coconut aminos.
  • To make this nut-free, use toasted pumpkin seeds instead of sliced almonds.
  • You can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme for the fresh.
  • The vegetable stock gives the farro an extra boost of flavour, but you could definitely use water if you prefer!
This vegan holiday farro salad is so flavourful and satisfying. Chewy farro comes together with tangy pomegranate, spice-roasted carrots, chopped radicchio, ripe and juicy persimmon, fresh mint, and almonds. Then, everything is tossed in a simple apple cider vinegar and garlic dressing. Ready in 40 minutes and perfect for holiday potlucks!