Farro Salad with Chickpeas and Green Beans

A bright and herby farro salad featuring chickpeas, fresh green beans, tomatoes, and a mix of dill and mint, tossed with a tangy pomegranate dressing.

This farro salad is so easy to make, especially on days when I need something quick but still fresh and healthy. The green beans keep their crunch, the tomatoes soften and release their juices, and the farro will continue to soak up all that tangy pomegranate dressing as it sits. If you're new to grain salads, you're going to love how well they hold up. They're great for making ahead or packing for a healthy lunch or picnic.

To make this recipe even easier, I like to cook the farro ahead of time. On Sundays, I'll prep a batch using my farro cooking guide, then freeze it into cubes for later. When I need it, I just pop a few out and run them under hot water to defrost. It's such a simple grain meal prep trick that saves 30 minutes of cooking and cooling.

Farro Salad Ingredients

Cook the Farro

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the farro just like pasta, until tender (according to package instructions for your specific type of farro). Drain well and spread onto a sheet pan to cool quickly.

My farro is still a bit crunchy; did I undercook it? Farro is an "al dente" grain, meaning it should have a chewy, nutty bite. However, personally, I like to overcook my farro by a few minutes. I find that it stays soft even when chilled.

Blanch the Green Beans

2. To blanch green beans, boil the prepared 1-inch green bean pieces in salted water for 3-5 minutes. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking, preserving their bright green color and crunch.

Can I cook the farro and green beans together in one pot? It's tempting, but not recommended. Farro takes much longer than green beans and releases starches that can make the beans slimy. Cooking them separately ensures the perfect texture for both.

3. While the farro and beans cool, finish prepping the remaining ingredients: rinse/drain the chickpeas, dice the tomatoes, and chop the fresh herbs.

Pomegranate Dressing and Building the Salad

4. In a separate medium bowl, combine the chopped shallot, grated garlic, pomegranate molasses, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk well to dissolve the salt. Gradually pour in the ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil while continuously whisking to emulsify. The dressing will be on the thicker side.
5. In a very large mixing bowl, combine the cooled farro, blanched green beans, drained chickpeas, diced tomatoes, fresh mint, and dill. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Give everything a toss.
6. Pour the pomegranate dressing. Toss thoroughly to ensure every ingredient is evenly coated.
7. Enjoy immediately at room temperature or chill the salad for 1 hour to let the flavors develop.

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Inspired by Farro Salad with Sugar Snap Peas and White Beans from Dinner Illustrated By America's Test Kitchen