The Two Spoons Cookbook is Here! Order Now
About Lifestyle
SF

Mediterranean Farro Salad with Chickpeas and Arugula

A delicious and flavourful Mediterranean Farro Salad recipe with arugula, Calabrian spiced chickpeas, crisp pickled onions, olives and feta. Drizzled with a simple red wine vinaigrette. A satiating and elevated dinner salad to please a crowd!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Jump to Recipe

Sep 9, 2026 by Hannah Sunderani

Say hello to this fully loaded farro salad! It’s a Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe, made with cooked farro, arugula, spiced chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and vegan feta. Drizzled with a fresh, simple and herby red wine vinaigrette.

This salad with farro is a delight for the tastebuds, offering a variety of flavours and textures like crisp and crunchy fresh vegetables, deep and grounding farro, spiced chickpeas, toasted nuts and a tangy vinaigrette. The result is an unforgettable, restaurant-worthy dinner salad that’s filling, flavourful and satiating!

So, let me tell you exactly how to make this farro salad recipe so that you can enjoy it pronto!

A bowl of Mediterranean salad with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, arugula, and grains, mixed with a wooden spoon. A jar of pickled onions appears in the background.
Hannah’s hot take

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This farro salad recipe with arugula plays with texture and flavour, make it a restaurant-worthy dish – it’s truly an elevated salad.

My technique to cooking the farro is a little different to salad recipes with farro that you may have tried online – it begins by toasting the dry farro in the saucepan. This small technique adds a roasted and nutty flavour to the farro that’s irresistible.

The recipe also ups the flavour profiles in traditional Mediterranean salads with simple flavour twists like spicing the chickpeas using Calibrian chili paste for deep heat and smoky flavour. And opting-in for crisp pickled onions over raw red onion, for a crisp and tangy bite that doesn’t linger in the mouth.

Overall the flavour notes in this Mediterranean farro salad is unmatched. I know you’re going to love it as much as I do!

Hannah xx

Top-down view of small bowls with ingredients like chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, red pepper, feta, arugula, grains, oil, vinegar, herbs, and broth, all arranged on a light gray surface.

Ingredient Notes:

This recipe uses fresh, simple, and whole-food ingredients, which is why I love it so much! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Farro: The dry farro is lightly toasted in a saucepan on the stove top, with a bit of olive oil before cooking in broth; which adds a really nice nutty flavour and aroma to the salad, and really elevates this farro salad!
  • Arugula: I love this peppery green not only for its flavour, but it holds its texture well – making this a great farro salad for meal-prepping!
  • Chickpeas: Most recipes online simply strain and add the chickpeas straight to the salad, but I’ve seasoned mine with Calabrian chili paste, which elevates the chickpeas and makes them so easy to eat! The flavour is sweet, smoky, and irrestistable heat.
  • Pickled Onions: Most recipes online use raw red onion, but I personally find it too overpowering and lingers on the breath! I much prefer adding pickled onions over raw onion for a sweet, crisp red onion that’s much more subtle.
  • Fresh Herbs: Fresh oregano and flat leaf parsley are used in this recipe adding earthy and bright aromatic flavour. Adding fresh herbs is the best way to elevate a salad into feeling restaurant worthy, in my opinion. Basil would also be a nice addition or replacement of one of the herbs.
  • Pine Nuts: The pine nuts are toasted in a skillet on the stove top, to deepen the nutty flavour, and to add a lovely crunch to this farro salad recipe.
  • Feta: This recipe adds vegan feta for a creamy, salty and tangy finish. You could use real feta if you’re not vegan.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is used as the base of this dressing, mixed with olive oil, dijon and maple syrup. The dressing in this recipe is sweet, tangy, and bright!
A bowl of salad with arugula, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta cheese, pickled onions, and pine nuts. Other bowls, a jar of pickled onions, and a small bowl of pine nuts are also visible.

How to make Mediterranean Farro Salad with Arugula and Chickpeas

This salad recipe with farro is very simple and straight forward to make. Anyone can do it and you definitely don’t need to be a master cook. It’s mostly preparing the ingredients and then tossing together in a mixing bowl. Here’s what you’re going to do:

A green-handled skillet filled with toasted wheat berries sits on a light gray surface.
Toast dry farro in a saucepan until fragrant, 5 mins.
A green-handled pan with grains soaking in water and a wooden spoon resting inside, seen from above on a light gray surface.
And broth and bring to boil, cook until puffed and pleasantly chewy.
A glass jar filled with sliced pickled red onions, viewed from above, on a light gray surface.
While farro cooks, make the quick pickled onions.
A wooden board with chopped cherry tomatoes and a knife, surrounded by bowls of sliced olives, chopped cucumber, diced red bell pepper, chopped herbs, and fresh oregano on a light gray surface.
And chop all the veggies.
A white bowl filled with seasoned chickpeas and a white spoon, set on a light gray surface.
Mix chickpeas in Calabrian chili paste.
A gray skillet with a green handle contains toasted pine nuts and a green spatula with a wooden handle, shown on a light countertop—perfect for adding crunch to your lemon orzo pasta salad.
Toast the pine nuts until golden and fragrant, 5 mins.
A glass bowl filled with oil, chopped herbs, and spices sits on a light gray surface.
Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, dijon, and maple syrup to a jar.
A glass jar containing a green herb and oil vinaigrette sits on a light gray surface. The mixture appears partially blended, with visible herb pieces floating in the liquid.
Cover and shake to combine.
A bowl filled with arugula, sliced cucumber, chickpeas, red bell peppers, pickled onions, feta cheese, grains, and fresh herbs, arranged in sections on a light surface.
Add the farro, cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, arugula, parsley, oregano, feta and olives to a mixing bowl.
A hand pours dressing from a small white pitcher onto a colorful salad with arugula, chickpeas, cucumbers, bell peppers, pickled onions, and grains in a white bowl on a light gray surface.
Drizzle with the red wine vinaigrette.
A bowl of mixed salad with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, greens, feta, and grains, with a wooden spoon. A jar with pickled onions is nearby on a light surface.
Toss to combine.
Three bowls of salad with arugula, tomatoes, lentils, red onions, and feta cheese sit on a light surface, with a jar of pickled onions and a small bowl of pine nuts nearby.
Serve and enjoy!

So there we have it! A simple and delicious recipe for mediterranean farro salad with chickpeas and arugula! It’s a wholesome and nourishing salad using real-food ingredients. The recipe makes for a delicious dinner salad because it’s hearty and stays with you – thanks to its farro grain base, chickpeas, and toasted pine nuts.

A few small adaptions to texture and cooking really enhances the flavour and texture of this salad making it restaurant-worthy. I really think you’re going to love it as much as we do!

If you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I truly love hearing from you, and I’m always here to answer any questions you might have. And of course, tag me on Instagram with your pictures using the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

A bowl of fresh salad with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, and pickled onions, with a fork lifting a bite. A jar of pickled onions is in the background.
SF

Mediterranean Farro Salad with Chickpeas and Arugula

No ratings yet
By Hannah Sunderani
A delicious and flavourful Mediterranean Farro Salad recipe with arugula, Calabrian spiced chickpeas, crisp pickled onions, olives and feta. Drizzled with a simple red wine vinaigrette. A satiating and elevated dinner salad to please a crowd!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
A bowl of mixed salad with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, greens, feta, and grains, with a wooden spoon. A jar with pickled onions is nearby on a light surface.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cup farro (uncooked)
  • 1.5 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • ⅓ cup pickled red onions (*see notes below on how to do a quick pickle if needed)
  • 1 can chickpeas strained and rinsed
  • 2 tsp Calabrian chili paste
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • ½ large english cucumber , sliced into quarters, then chopped
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes , sliced into quarters
  • 2 handfuls arugula
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley , tightly packed and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
  • ½ cup vegan feta
  • ½ black Kalamata olives chopped

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fresh Oregano finely chopped (or ¼ tsp dried)
  • 1 tsp Dijon
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • sea salt Pinch
  • Pepper Pinch

Instructions

  • Toast the dry farro in a saucepan on the stove top with 1.5 tbsp olive oil, until it smells nutty and they’re making a light popping noise, 5-7 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer. Cook the farro until puffed and pleasantly chewy, about 25 mins. Transfer to a large plate, and let cool.
  • While the farro cooks, now is a good time to do a quick pickle of the red onions if needed, and to chop all your veggies and herbs.
  • Toss the chickpeas in chili paste and 2 tsp olive oil to lightly coat, and a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.
  • Toast the pine nuts in a skillet on medium low heat until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
  • Prepare the red wine vinaigrette: in a jar combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, dijon, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Give it a good shake to combine.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the cooled farro, chopped english cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, arugula, parsley, oregano, feta and olives. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts (optional to set aside some pine nuts and feta for sprinkling at the end).
  • Drizzle the salad with the red wine vinaigrette and toss to combine. Transfer to a large salad bowl or serving platter Sprinkle with remaining pine nuts and feta and serve.

Notes

For the quick pickle red onions: Soak red onion slices in a jar with red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt for 10 minutes to remove the harsh bite. It’s easy to do this at the beginning of the recipe before you chop all the vegetables. Then it will be ready for assembly time! Or, follow my recipe for crispy pickled red onions with apple cider vinegar that’s great for jarring!

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 695mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1615IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 4mg
DID YOU

Tag @twospoons on Instagram
and hashtag it #twospoons

MAKE THIS?

LEAVE A COMMENT
AND RATE THIS RECIPE!

We love hearing from you! If you love this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Thank you!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this Recipe