This delicious and vibrant Pearl Cous Cous and Farro Salad brings a bright addition to any summer meal. Loaded with amazing texture, sweet bursts from cherries, and lots of fresh herbs, it will be on repeat all summer!
The unexpected star of the dish is the amazingly sweet and fresh cherries from Sprouts Farmers Market! I LOVE to add sweet elements to savory dishes, and these cherries from Sprouts were the perfect addition to the dish.
This year’s crop of cherries at Sprouts has fantastic flavor and quality, which is why I love shopping for produce at Sprouts. I can always count on their freshness and quality choices!
You can find lots of vibrant recipes featuring cherries here on their website. I was getting hungry just browsing through them!
Why I’m loving this recipe
Aside from these gorgeous cherries, this Cous Cous and Farro Salad uses LOTS of my favorite ingredients in one place. I routinely use these ingredients in various dishes to add flavor without adding extra salt or less healthy add-ins.
- pistachios
- lemon juice
- tomatoes
- tons of fresh herbs
- red onions
As far as boosting flavor without additional salt, you’ll find that citrus and fresh herbs go a long way. I encourage you to experiment with these ingredients and find combinations that you love. For me, pretty much ANY fresh herb is welcome, usually in large quantities (ha!). Lemon or lime juice squeezed into a dish just before serving adds beautiful depth of flavor and freshness too.
The combination of farro and pearl cous cous provides a hearty, chewy magical aspect to this dish. You’ll likely be super satisfied after eating the dish, with its many nourishing ingredients. I like to think of farro as a cross between rice and quinoa in the best way possible ; )
how this dish comes together
- While the cous cous and farro are cooking on the stove, slice the tomatoes, pit the cherries, and chop the pistachios, apricots and scallions.
- Whisk together the dressing, and chop the fresh herbs.
- Combine in a large mixing bowl, then serve. You can top with additional pistachios, cherries and fresh herbs along with some lemon juice.
Other delicious light dishes
Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Spiced Chickpeas
Warm Kale & Sweet Potato Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Citrus and Avocado Watercress Salad
Cous Cous and Farro Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced and pitted cherries
- 1 cup pearl cous cous dry
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup farro dry
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
- ¼ cup minced dried apricot
- 3 tbsp. packed finely chopped fresh mint (or basil)
- ¼ cup packed finely chopped fresh chives
- ¼ cup packed thinly sliced scallions
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes sliced
- Lemon juice for serving
- Additional chopped pistachios sliced cherries, and fresh herbs for serving
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 2 ½ tsp. dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. fine garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. dried basil
- ¼ tsp. dried oregano
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the 1 cup pearl cous cous, 2 tsp. olive oil, and ¼ tsp kosher salt, and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the cous cous is golden brown, stirring often.
- Add 1 and ¼ cup water, stir, cover, bring to simmer and cook until tender (approx. 6 minutes). Stir and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile in separate saucepan, add the 1 cup farro and 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid and spread the farro out on a baking tray to cool.
- While the pearl cous cous and farro are cooking, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well combined (1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. kosher salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, 2 ½ tsp. dijon mustard, 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar, 1 tsp. fine garlic powder, ¼ tsp. dried basil, ¼ tsp. dried oregano, and juice of 1 lemon.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pearl cous cous and farro, the 1 cup cherries, the 2 cups tomatoes, the 1/3 cup red onion, 1/3 cup chopped pistachios, ¼ cup minced dried apricot, 3 tbsp. (packed) fresh mint, ¼ cup (packed) fresh chives, ¼ cup (packed) scallions.
- Stir well, add dressing and mix through. Just before serving, squeeze extra lemon juice over the dish and garnish with additional chopped pistachios, fresh herbs, and sliced cherries.