Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Lemon

Nutty whole grain, caramelized summer vegetables, chickpeas and a bright lemon-herb dressing.

Farro salad with roasted vegetables tosses chewy pearled farro with oven-caramelized zucchini, eggplant, peppers, red onion and cherry tomatoes, plus chickpeas, pine nuts and a lemon-herb dressing. Vegan, about 480 calories with 14 g of protein and 12 g of fiber per serving, and it keeps for four days — the definitive Mediterranean meal-prep lunch.

By RecipeUp Kitchen · Published September 14, 2026 ·

A vibrant farro salad with roasted eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, and pine nuts, garnished with fresh herbs and lemon zest, sits on a light tablecloth by a window.

Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Total45 min
Serves4
LevelEasy
Per serving481 kcal · 14P · 64C · 21F

Farro is the grain Romans marched on. Emmer wheat, ancient and nutty, it fell out of fashion when soft wheat became easy to mill and survived mostly in Tuscany and Umbria, where insalata di farro — a room-temperature salad of farro, tomatoes and whatever the garden gave — is standard summer food. It has come back into American kitchens for the same reason it stayed in Italian ones: it tastes of something, it doesn't go mushy, and it's genuinely good for you.

This is our meal-prep version. A tray of vegetables goes in the oven while the farro simmers, the two meet in a bowl with chickpeas, herbs and a sharp lemon dressing, and you have four lunches that taste better on Wednesday than they did on Sunday.

Why this recipe works for healthy & green

The Mediterranean diet as studied — the pattern with the strongest evidence for heart health and longevity — is built on exactly this kind of plate: whole grains, legumes, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and herbs, with animal foods as an accent or absent. Fiber is where this recipe shines: 12 g per serving from the farro's intact bran, the chickpeas and the vegetables, which supports the gut microbiome and blood-sugar stability and is the nutrient Americans fall shortest on. Protein at 14 g is respectable for a plant-based lunch and complete once you combine grain and legume. Roasting matters nutritionally as well as for flavor: cooked tomatoes and peppers give up more lycopene and carotenoids, and the olive oil helps you absorb them.

Instructions

Roast the vegetables. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the eggplant, zucchini, pepper, onion and tomatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt and the oregano. Spread on a large rimmed sheet pan in a single layer (use two pans if crowded — crowded vegetables steam instead of browning). Roast 25–30 minutes, turning once, until browned at the edges and the tomatoes have burst.
Cook the farro. Meanwhile, rinse the farro. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the farro and cook like pasta, uncovered, until tender but still chewy — 18–22 minutes for pearled, 30–35 for semi-pearled, 45+ for whole. Drain well and spread on a tray for 5 minutes to steam dry.
Make the dressing. In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, ¼ tsp salt and pepper.
Assemble while warm. Add the warm farro to the dressing and toss — warm grain drinks up dressing better than cold. Add the chickpeas and the roasted vegetables with any juices from the pan and fold together.
Finish. Let it cool 10 minutes, then fold in the basil, parsley and pine nuts. Taste for salt and lemon; it should be bright. Serve at room temperature.

Tips from our kitchen

Don't salt the eggplant first. Modern eggplant isn't bitter, and salting draws out the water you want to evaporate in the oven anyway.
Roast on two pans if you have to. Overlapping vegetables sweat; spread-out vegetables caramelize. This one habit is the difference between a good and a great roasted-vegetable salad.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes, shaking. Raw pine nuts taste of nothing; burnt ones taste of everything.
Meal prep: portion into four containers with the herbs added fresh on the day if you're fussy. It keeps 4 days and needs a squeeze of lemon on day 3.

Variations

Not vegan: crumble 2 oz of feta or ricotta salata over the top (about 50 calories and 3 g protein per serving).
Higher protein: add a can of white beans alongside the chickpeas, or top each portion with a 4-oz grilled chicken breast (+35 g protein).
Fall version: butternut squash, red onion and Brussels sprouts, with sage instead of basil and a splash of balsamic.
Gluten-free: farro is wheat. Use the same weight of brown rice, quinoa or sorghum.

Storage & meal prep

Refrigerate up to 4 days; bring to room temperature and refresh with lemon and a few drops of olive oil before eating. Doesn't freeze well (the roasted vegetables turn watery).

Nutrition per serving

Nutrient	Amount	% DV*
Calories	481 kcal	24%
Total fat	21 g	27%
Saturated fat	2.6 g	13%
Carbohydrates	64 g	23%
Fiber	12 g	43%
Sugars	8.9 g	—
Protein	14 g	28%
Sodium	802 mg	35%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Values are calculated from USDA FoodData Central and manufacturer data for the ingredients as listed; they are estimates, not lab analyses. Nutrition disclaimer.

Frequently asked questions

Is farro healthier than rice?

Farro has roughly three times the fiber and twice the protein of white rice per serving, plus more magnesium, iron and B vitamins, because it keeps most of its bran and germ. Its glycemic impact is lower and it's more filling. The trade-off is that it contains gluten, so it isn't for everyone.

Do I need to soak farro?

Not pearled or semi-pearled farro, which is what most US supermarkets sell (Bob's Red Mill, Trader Joe's). Whole farro benefits from an overnight soak, which cuts cooking time to about 30 minutes.

Can I make farro salad ahead?

Yes — it's one of the best make-ahead salads there is. The farro stays chewy for days and absorbs the dressing. Add the fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon just before serving if it's been in the fridge more than a day.

Is this farro salad vegan?

Yes, as written. Every ingredient is plant-based. Check that your farro was processed in a facility you're comfortable with if you have allergies to nuts (pine nuts are optional).

Sources

USDA FoodData Central — farro/emmer, chickpeas, eggplant, zucchini
Estruch, R. et al. (2018). Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts (PREDIMED). New England Journal of Medicine
Quagliani, D. & Felt-Gunderson, P. (2017). Closing America's fiber intake gap. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine