Summer Farro Salad with Crispy Roasted Lentils
This Summer Farro Salad is the perfect nourishing bowl of grains, summer vegetables and a delicious creamy balsamic tahini dressing. Easy dinner bowl ready in less than 30 minutes.
I roast chickpeas all the time. They are one of my favorites in bowls like my Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad. But, they aren’t the only bean or pulse you can roast to crispy perfection. In fact, I’ve been roasting a lot of lentils recently and they have been making my nourish bowls especially delicious. And paired with some hearty and chewy farro, it just takes this bowl over the top.
Why You’ll Love This Summer Farro Salad
- Comes together in less than 30 minutes for a quick satisfying meal
- Prep in advance for easy dinner meals throughout the week
- Uses nourishing ingredients such as farro and lentils that are high in protein, iron and fiber
- Budget friendly using seasonal ingredients and pantry staples
- This feels fancy without all the extra hands on time in the kitchen
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lentils: I used canned French lentils, but you can opt for cooking the lentils yourself or swapping out for some canned chickpeas instead.
- Farro: You can find this grain in most grocery stores. Feel free to swap with a gluten free grain like rice or quinoa if preferred.
- Tomatoes: I do quarter the tomatoes for this recipe, but if you don’t want anymore chopping, just leave your cherry tomatoes whole. Or leave them out.
- Corn: To make things easier I used some frozen fire roasted corn, but you can use canned or roast some fresh corn if desired.
- Zucchini: If you aren’t a fan of zucchini, you can swap for broccoli or even asparagus.
- Tahini: Use a good quality tahini. I like using either Soom Foods or Whole Foods 365 Brand for this.
- Balsamic Vinegar: If you don’t happen to have balsamic vinegar on hand, you can try this with a white or red wine vinegar and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Maple Syrup: Helps to balance the flavors of the tahini and vinegar well. Feel free to adjust more to your liking.
- Seasonings: We dress up the lentils and salad dressing with a number of herbs and seasonings. Among them, you will need some onion and garlic powder, pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary and nutritional yeast.
How to Make Crispy Roasted Lentils
Take your cooked or canned lentils and rinse well and drain. Once the liquid drains off, pat the lentils dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
Place the lentils on a baking sheet and drizzle with your oil and sprinkle with your seasonings. Toss to coat then spread out on a baking sheet to roast in the oven.
If your pan is big enough, roast the zucchini and onions on the same pan. Use separate pans if needed to make sure that all veggies have room to roast.
How to Make Summer Farro Salad
Start by preparing your farro. The easiest way to cook farro is to bring a pot of water to a boil like you would with pasta. Salt the water, and once boiling add the farro and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the farro and let it stand while you prep the remaining parts of the bowl.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. You can adjust the thickness of the dressing with more water if desired. I recommend adding water no more than 1 tablespoon at a time and whisking until you get your desired consistency.
Now, you can assemble the bowl. Add your farro, then the lentils and top with the roasted veggies, tomatoes, corn, herbs and a drizzle of the dressing.
Expert Tips
- Spread your lentils out in a single layer. This will make sure that they crisp up appropriately.
- Use just enough oil to coat your lentils and vegetables. Using too much oil can prevent the lentils and vegetables from toasting properly.
- Adjust the seasonings. You can add more or less of a spice or add more vinegar or sweetener to the dressing if that is your preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Farro contains gluten. However, you can swap out for a different gluten-free grain like black rice, quinoa or millet.
They are both excellent choices. Farro does contain a significant amount of protein, fiber and iron. However, if you are dealing with Celiac’s Disease, I would recommend using quinoa as farro does contain gluten. You may also base your choice on expense and both can cost differently based on where you live. In my part of the US, farro happens to be much cheaper than quinoa.
Yes. Two options. Sauté the zucchini and lentils separately in a pan with some oil and the seasonings. You can also try roasting these up in an air fryer. I would add them at 400F for 8-10 minutes. Just check to make sure you don’t overcook them.
I would avoid using red lentils as they are too mushy when cooked. Stick to small green, brown, black or French style lentils for the best results. When cooked they should still retain their shape pretty well, don’t overcook them.
Other Grain Bowl Combinations
- Protein: Swap the lentils for chickpeas or roast up some crispy tofu.
- Grains: Swap the farro for black rice, millet or quinoa for something gluten-free. You can cook the grains up in some vegetable broth for more flavor.
- Vegetables: You can change up the vegetables based on season. You can find a list of seasonal vegetables in this article.
- Sauces: You can replace the sauce and place the grains, lentils and veggies over a bed of hummus or lemon white bean dip.
More Summer Vegan Salads
- Citrus Infused Couscous Chickpea Salad
- Vegan Burrito Bowl
- Peanut Miso Chickpea Salad
- Lemon Orzo Salad and Asparagus
- Spicy Edamame Salad with Smashed Cucumbers
- Garlic Sesame Noodles
Summer Farro Salad with Crispy Roasted Lentils
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Summer Farro Salad is the perfect nourishing bowl of grains, summer vegetables and a delicious creamy balsamic tahini dressing. Easy dinner bowl ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1, 15 oz can or 1 1/2 cups cooked French lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced into strips
- 1 tbsp of avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup frozen fire roasted corn, thawed
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halve if desired
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- 1 cup dry farro
Balsamic Tahini Dressing
- 3 tbsp good quality tahini
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, grated or pressed
- 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes, optional
- 1/4 tsp dry rosemary
- 2 tbsp water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil and preheat oven to 425F. Line 1-2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the rinsed lentils on a paper towel and pat dry to remove some of the excess moisture.
- Add the lentils on one pan with half the oil, garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of salt. Place the zucchini, onion with the remaining oil and seasonings on the other. With your hands, make sure the veggies and lentils are fully coated and spread them out in an even single layer so they have room to roast.
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes, flipping the lentils and vegetables half way through.
- Add the farro to the pot of water with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the farro and let stand for a few minutes to make the sauce.
- Add all the sauce ingredients to a jar or bowl and whisk together to combine and adjust seasonings as desired. You can add more water a tablespoon at a time if you want your sauce to be thinner.
- To assemble, divide the farro onto each plate, top with the roasted lentils, zucchini, and onions. Then add a sprinkle of the corn, tomatoes, parsley and a drizzle of the sauce.
Notes
Spread your lentils out in a single layer. This will make sure that they crisp up appropriately.
Use just enough oil to coat your lentils and vegetables. Using too much oil can prevent the lentils and vegetables from toasting properly.
Adjust the seasonings. You can add more or less of a spice or add more vinegar or sweetener to the dressing if that is your preference.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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Delicious! That sauce is seriously tasty. I will be making this all summer long. I roasted the veggies and lentils without oil, they came out perfect!
Isn’t it! Love the sauce so much. Thank you so so much for making it and glad you loved it with the modifications too. 🙂
Baking lentils is a game changer! I loved them crispy, and it’s the only way I’ll eat them in bowls in the future. This recipe was a great way to use corn, tomatoes, and zucchini from my garden. The sauce was a delicious twist on my typical lemon tahini. I’ll definitely make this again!