Fall in love with this Apple Farro Salad that you can easily make at home.

Looking for a quick, hearty, and filling lunch to take to work? Apple farro salad has protein, fiber, and omega-3 for a lunch that keeps you full and ready to finish up your work day. 

 

Simply toss all your salad ingredients into a to-go container. When you’re ready to eat, add your homemade vinaigrette dressing. Put the lid on and shake the container to mix it all together. And presto, lunch is ready! 

Arugula apple salad is sponsored by SweeTango.

Lunch doesn’t need to be complicated to be filling, and it shouldn’t make you feel like you’re in a food coma.

Whether you need a light and hearty lunch or a bigger side to bring to family dinner, this recipe is for you. 

What is farro?

Farro is a plant-based protein and is considered an ancient grain. That means it looks the same as it did a few hundred years ago. Since farro hasn’t been stripped and refined like white rice or white flour, ancient grains have more vitamins and minerals. But they do have gluten.

Farro looks similar to barley. When you cook farro, it should have a chewy but tender texture. It has a nutty taste but isn’t as heavy on your stomach as rice. It holds up well in soups, salads, and sides. Coat it with dressing, or let it absorb the flavor of your soup for a totally new addition to your recipes. 

How to make farro

Farro is usually coated with a dry, powdery substance. Do a quick rinse under cold water in a strainer. The water doesn’t need to run clear –  just rinse off that residue. 

Add your uncooked farro to a medium saucepan. Add water or broth to cover the farro, a bay leaf, and a big pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Cook with a lid partially covering your saucepan until the farro is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain the farro, and it’s ready to add to your salad.

Produce Mom Tip: Soak your farro overnight to reduce cooking time to 10-15 minutes. Then, you can store it in the fridge for easy prep and add it to your salad later. 

How to make arugula apple salad

 

First, toast walnuts and set aside to cool. Add arugula, SweeTango® apples, cheese, farro, raisins, and walnuts.

Next, mix the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Then add salt and pepper to taste.

Then, drizzle the vinaigrette over your apple farro salad, toss to coat the salad ingredients, and serve.

Key ingredients for the best arugula pple salad

SweeTango® Apples

With a crunch like no other apple, SweeTango apples have 5 grams of fiber and 34 grams of carbs to keep you feeling full. Salads can be filling; it’s all about what you put in them. Unlike carbs, fiber doesn’t break down. Instead, it goes through your body without being digested. 

But that’s a good thing! Fiber helps your body regulate how it uses sugar, keeps your blood sugar at a healthy level, and prevents you from reaching for a bag of chips between lunch and dinner.   

Farro

Farro provides double the amount of fiber and protein as quinoa. Although there isn’t meat or fish protein in this salad, you still get 6 grams of protein from a ¼ cup of farro to boost your energy and build muscle. Farro stays firm even after it cools, so it’s perfect for making ahead and then adding to your apple farro salad.

Remember to rinse off the powdery coating before your boil farro. Farro continues to cook if you let it sit in the pot of water. So be sure to drain it as soon as it’s done cooking to keep the firmness to hold up in your salad.

Toasted Walnuts

Toasted nuts taste so much better than eating them raw. Raw walnuts are lighter in color, waxy on the outside, and have a mild flavor. When they’re toasted, they develop a richer, more intense, nutty taste and add a layer of crunch. 

Toast your walnuts on the stovetop or in the oven at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes. We like the stovetop method because it’s slightly faster, but either way works. Whichever way you choose. you don’t want to skip this step.

Gouda Cheese

Sweet and creamy, gouda cheese is the perfect pairing with juicy apples, nutty walnuts, and filling farro. Aged gouda develops a nutty flavor with crunchy crystals similar to parmesan cheese. It adds one more layer of flavor to this hearty salad. If you can’t find gouda cheese, substitute it with Havarti, Cheddar, Swiss, or Gruyère. 

Why We Chose SweeTango® Apples

Big crunch. Bigger taste. That’s just a few of the reasons we use SweeTango®  apples. A cross between a Zestar and a Honeycrisp apple, SweeTango apples have a splash of citrus and a hint of honey for a balanced combination of flavors that dance in your mouth. Once you try one –  you’ll want more!Related: How To Find SweeTango Apples

More Recipes Using SweeTango® Apples

• Apple Pie Moonshine – sweet apples really come through in this moonshine recipe
• Caramel Apples – a fall staple your entire family will have fun making
• Caramel Apple S’mores – the best campfire combo of caramel apples and s’mores in one bite
• Apple Sour Cocktail – bourbon, cinnamon, and apples for a delicious grown-up beverage
• Caramel Apple Monkey Bread – add a little extra to your monkey bread with apples
• Air Fryer Apple Pies – on-the-go apple pies your whole family will love
• Apple Walnut Baked Brie – a dippable app that’s perfect for cool, brisk nights and conversation

Give these crunchy, juicy, and flavorful apples a try. Use the store locator to find SweeTango apples in a grocery store near you!