This Sweet Potato Farro Salad makes a delicious healthy side dish or it's robust enough for a light lunch! You can vary the grains, the original recipe called for barley. Post may contain affiliate links. 
Sweet Potato Farro Salad
After finding my pantry filled with jars and jars of grain (3 of quinoa alone!), I have declared the summer of 2014, The Summer of Grain Salads. If you missed my "Spicy Bean and Quinoa Salad with Mole Vinaigrette" - go right now and pin it or bookmark it or whatever you do to ensure that you make it - because it was that good! Now get ready to do the same with this recipe! I found the Barley and Sweet Potato Salad in Urban Pantry a book that I previously reviewed - Book Review Urban Pantry.
Unfortunately I had already used my barley for another salad, but I had plenty of farro around and since I've found that most grains are somewhat interchangeable, I went with the substitution. All I can say is that I don't know how good this is with barley, but it is amazing with farro. I cooked the farro (which by the way, I found organic in a large bag at Costco) al dente so it had a nice toothsome bite. I also roasted the sweet potatoes instead of sautéing them in a pan like the author calls for. I did however use coconut oil and even though it was solid at room temperature, tossing the sweet potato around, easily coated each cube. She also called for ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs - I used parsley and chives, since my lovage did not survive our harsh winter.
Sweet Potato Farro Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked farro
- ½ tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 sweet potato peeled and diced into small cubes
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh tender herbs parsley, chives, anise hyssop, basil, or lovage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or a squeeze of lemon
Instructions
- Place a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the dry farro and toast until it's turning golden and fragrant (about 3-5 minutes). Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- While the farro is cooking, preheat the oven to 375. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potato with the coconut oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 25 - 30 minutes, until tender. Transfer to bowl with with farro.
- Toss farro and sweet potato gently with the fresh herbs, olive oil, lemon juice and and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve at room temperature.
Aleta says
This salad looks amazing! So fresh and flavourful. I love that the farro can be swapped for another grain, I happen to have barley in my cupboard I need to use up, along with a couple of sweet potatoes! I think I will use some of my fresh basil. Yum!
Kacey Perez says
I am so happy I stumbled upon this recipe. We are in lock down for COVID-19 right now and coming up with new ways to use the ingredients we currently have is getting hard! This recipe will be perfect to try!
Charity says
I have a bag of farro and haven't used it yet. This looks perfect. Thanks so much!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
What a delicious looking dish and super easy recipe! I love that this uses basic ingredients. Plus I love that it's healthy!
Leslie says
Don't you love it when you can easily find a substitution for a recipe? This salad looks incredible!
Paula Montenegro says
Super simple and nutritious, just the kind of salad I'm looking for these days! A great recipe to vary the grains. Thanks for sharing.
Veronika says
This salad has all of my favorite ingredients! Plus, it's always good to have a new idea how to use farro! Saving the recipe!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
Farro is my favorite grain! I love it in soups, salads, and yours is truly awesome. Love the sweet potato and fresh herbs in there! Perfect lunch!
Jacqui DeBono says
I have my sweet potato plants ready to go in the ground any day, and I always have grains in, so this is a great recipe for me to keep! I love to have a healthy and filling lunch in the summer.
Anna says
I adore anything with sweet potato, so this salad is right up my alley! Looks so delicious and so healthy, I would happily eat it on its own!
HEATHER PERINE says
Ooh I stocked up on grains as well with everything going on right now - so I have some farro in my pantry and a couple sweet potatoes. Will do a little squeeze of lemon I bet it's delicious!
grace says
farro is one of my favorite grains--i really like both its taste and texture! i'm really digging the presence of sweet potatoes too!
Deb in Hawaii says
I love the chewiness that farro brings to a salad. This one looks satisfying and yummy--love the color too. Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week. 😉
Ann says
We ate barley growing up but only ever in soup. These grains all but disappeared from post-war New World diets, lost in the tsunami of processed foods on supermarket shelves. We have such a diverse range of ethnic communities here is Sydney that these grains and the dishes made from them seem commonplace but have yet to transition to our tables. More's the pity as they are delicious.
Bonnie says
This looks delicious Pam. I love faro and I love Grain salads. I'll try this one soon. Thanks for sharing.
Melynda@OurSundayCafe says
We also have grains to use up, this salad looks good. We made the black bean and mango you recommended and it was wonderful, up next is the black bean and quinoa. We do have farro waiting for a cooking adventure.....
Joanne says
This is my kind of salad! Roasted sweet potatoes always sound perfect to me, no matter what form I eat them in!
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
What a gorgeous salad and so healthy too. I keep meaning to tell you how much I enjoy reading your book reviews on Good Reads.
Happy 4th of July Pam.
Sam
Pam Greer says
I hope you have a Happy 4th too! Thanks for the comment on my book reviews, I'm afraid mine are rather short.