Roasted Cauliflower and Farro Salad with Feta and Avocado
This satisfying vegetarian salad recipe features warm whole grains, roasted cauliflower, fresh greens and bold Mediterranean flavors. It packs well for lunch!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
Trying to eat better this year? I know, it’s extra-hard when it’s freezing cold outside and delivery pizza is just one call away. This warm, fresh yet hearty salad is the perfect solution. It packs well for lunch, too.
I really love the combination of garlicky farro with roasted cauliflower and salty feta and olives. Farro is an ancient grain related to wheat that you should be able to find in the health section of grocery stores. It’s nutty in flavor, freezes and defrosts well, and offers some heft to salads.
Fresh greens, sliced avocado, and lemon round it out. This seasonless salad is bursting with bold Mediterranean flavors.
You might recognize this salad from the archives. We have a lot of new visitors this year (hello and welcome!), and I’m trying to make sure my favorite recipes have appealing photos.
I love revisiting existing recipes because they give me more creative energy to devote to new recipes. I’m working on a new batch this week and can’t wait to share the results with you.
This recipe was inspired by a roasted cauliflower and farro salad I found in La Jolla, California. Four summers ago, I happened to be in San Diego at the same time as my parents. My friend and I met up with them for lunch at George’s, an unassuming restaurant with a faded, burgundy awning over the entrance.
We walked inside to discover an incredible view—the restaurant is built into the side of a cove that overlooks the sparkling blue Pacific. It was surreal since I’m accustomed to greeting my parents at home in flat, landlocked Oklahoma. (I’m not knocking Oklahoma—I love it for reasons that don’t include seaside views.)
My friend and I were feeling a little rough after a late night out, but that cauliflower salad brought me back to life. When I recreated it at home, I added some sun-dried tomatoes and greens to my version and loved how it turned out.
Change It Up
I love this salad exactly as written, but it’s a flexible recipe. For extra protein, stir some cooked chickpeas or lentils into the farro, or top your salad with a fried egg.
You could also add a handful of chopped leafy fresh herbs, like parsley, basil or dill. Other options include chopped red onions or freshly toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds.
You could roast broccoli instead of cauliflower. Skip the olives if you’re not into them. See the recipe notes for suggestions on how to make this salad gluten free, and/or vegan/dairy free.
Please let me know how you like this salad in the comments. Your feedback keeps me going.
Craving more hearty, bold salads like this one? Don’t miss my Greek kale salad, Jessica’s Marinated Chickpeas, Greek Lentil Salad and Arugula and Wild Rice Salad.
This salad is a meal in itself, but you could round it out with a warm cup of lentil soup, butternut squash soup or creamy cauliflower soup.
Roasted Cauliflower and Farro Salad with Feta and Avocado
This satisfying vegetarian salad recipe features warm whole grains, roasted cauliflower, fresh greens and bold Mediterranean flavors. It packs well for lunch, too! Recipe yields 4 hearty salads.
Ingredients
Roasted cauliflower
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (scale back or omit if sensitive to spice)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Garlicky farro
- 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Everything else
- ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives, rinsed, half sliced into small rounds and the rest halved lengthwise
- ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and roughly chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta (about 2 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ lemon), plus more for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 avocado, sliced into thin strips
- 4+ handfuls leafy greens (spring greens, spinach, arugula or baby kale are all good choices)
Instructions
- To roast the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt, and arrange it in an even layer across the pan. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway, until the cauliflower is tender and deeply golden on the edges.
- To cook the farro: In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed farro with at least three cups water (enough water to cover the farro by a couple of inches). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook until the farro is tender to the bite but still pleasantly chewy. (Pearled farro will take around 15 minutes; unprocessed farro will take 25 to 40 minutes.) Drain off the excess water and mix in the olive oil, garlic and salt. Set aside.
- In a large serving bowl, toss together the roasted cauliflower, cooked farro, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, feta and lemon juice. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Divide the avocado and greens between four dinner plates. Top with a generous amount of the cauliflower and farro salad. Finish the plates with an extra squeeze of lemon juice or drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Serve promptly.
Notes
Storage suggestions: Leftovers should keep well for several days. Store greens separately and slice the avocado just before serving.
Change it up: If you can’t find farro, spelt berries or wheat berries would be great substitutions. You might have to cook those grains longer.
Make it vegan: Skip the feta. You might want to add some extra olives to make up for it.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
OMG!! I made this salad last night and I do not believe there is a recipe from my vast collection that I enjoyed more. I had never even heard of farro before, but there it was, on the shelf at my favourite grocery store! The soft chewiness of the garlic flavoured farro with the roasted cauliflower, sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives was divine. The feta and buttery avocado was the perfect finish to a stunning recipe. I can’t t wait to make it for my friends!
I’m so glad you made it and loved it, Linda! Thanks so much for your review.
Delicious!! I made a few changes: I omitted the feta. My salad base included red bell peppers, cucumbers and red cabbage. Not wanting to have raw garlic breath, I added the garlic as the farro was cooking. I added chopped raw almonds on top and a little homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Yummy! Thanks for this wonderfully inventive salad!
Thanks for sharing, Carol!
Made this for dinner tonight….it was amazing! Added some chopped onion and a mix of pepitas & sunflower kernels that I toasted. I chose a combo of arugula and fresh spinach for my greens.
Will make this one often!
Great, Gail! Thanks for your feedback and review.
Both my husband and 24 year old son were leery when they came to the dinner table but said it was way better than they expected and would be happy to have it again. SCORE! Thanks for your wonderful recipes!!!!
I would say that’s a win! Thanks or sharing, Johanne!
Off the charts for deliciousness and uniqueness! I get so bored with salads, but this is a keeper! Only change: I had no olives, so I used about 1/4 cup of Trader Joe’s olive tapenade. Perfecto.
My daughter shared this recipe with me. Delicious! Such a nice combination of flavors! Comes together quickly too. Nice complete meal for a weeknight.
I agree! Great meal for the weeknight, Faith. Thanks for your review!
Oh, man, this was SERIOUSLY delicious. I will absolutely make this again. The flavors and textures were amazing, and even though it’s winter, this was a great way to get in a salad. It tasted cozy and yet sophisticated, somehow! Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Meredith! Thanks for your comment.
I love your definition of salad! Seriously, all your recipes have been amazing, and I really just wish I could thank you. I feel that you have given me a personal gift by sharing all of this knowledge. I am having fun and helping my whole household eat delicious, healthy meals. THANK YOU!
Thanks, Julie! I’m happy you love this salad.
Love this recipe, it has become a favourite and I have made it several times now!
That’s great, Cindy!
Wonderful salad! I made it with half broccoli and half cauliflower. Didn’t manage to find decent avocados, but didn’t miss them. Used red wine vinegar instead of lemon. Will definitely make this again and again in multiple variations!
Thanks for sharing, Kate!
This was delicious! I am so glad I discovered your blog – I make your recipes all the time and my family loves them. I have recently discovered farro and it is now one of my favorite grains. The only change I made was to throw the whole garlic cloves in with the farro while it cooked. Then I mashed them up and added them to the final dish. I don’t love raw garlic and usually do a quick roast in a skillet before using it. Cooking it in the boiling water was an easy solution.
Thanks for sharing, Kim!
I’ve made this a few times and it’s delicious. I recommend adding parsley – it complements the flavors perfectly. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Cynthia!
Hi Kate this looks so delish! I’m making it tonight. I’ve always loved my veges, I’m very interested in purchasing your cookbook, I’ll be in whole foods today and I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for it!
Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Melissa! Let me know what you think when you try it.
loved the cauliflower and farro recipe. My first with farro
Great to hear, GM! Thanks for your review.
Hi! I love this recipe! I will make this again and again. I’m not a fan of olives or feta, so I substituted figs and goat cheese, respectively. The goat cheese with the guac makes it creamy and delicious. I also added toasted pine nuts. Crazy yummy! Thank you!
Great way to make this more your taste, Susie! Thank you for your review.
This was an easy and delicious salad! This is the epitome of a Mediterranean vegetarian dish that is filling, flavorful, and easy to make. It keeps very well. This is definitely a “keeper” recipe that I will use again and again. The farro was superb!
Thanks for your review, Sandra!
Wasn’t sure where to get Farro from in my local supermarket so substituted pearl barley instead. Was delicious!!
Great to hear, Stacey!
This was super yummy! I used broccoli as that’s what I had on hand and it was good but I think cauliflower as per the original recipe would be better. I served over greens but didn’t have avocado and I didn’t miss it, it was delicious and filling and hearty without. I also added a small can of rinsed chickpeas for protein. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Nicole.
Another wonderful meal. I was way out of my comfort zone with this one, but I’m so glad I tried it. I never thought I would enjoy cauliflower! Ive never heard of farro and I thought it was yummier than rice. Im think of using it for the base of your veg red curry next time I make that. I also added pepitas and they added just the right crunch. Thank you!
I’m glad you tried it, even with it being outside your comfort zone. Thanks for taking the time to review, Leah!
If meal-prepping this, would you recommend lightly reheating the farro-cauliflower mix and serving on top of the greens or is it just as good cold?
That is a great way to have the as leftovers!
This was so good! I made it for my very meat loving father-in-law and my husband and the both raved over it. I wanted to increase the protein a little so instead of 3 cups of water, I used 4 cups water and added 1/3 cup dried green lentils with the farro. I only had dried sun dried tomatoes, so I chopped those and stirred them in to the farro during the last few minutes of cook time. I love roasted onions so sliced 1/2 onion and tossed it with the cauliflower to roast.
It went together so easily. A great weeknight or any night meal
I’m glad you loved it, Lynda!
Yum.
Ymyumyumyum. Loved this so much. Will try it with some of the variations you mentioned!
Thank you for your review, Martha!
Amazing!! I absolutely LOVED this salad. Thank you so much. This will be a regular.
You’re welcome! I’m glad it will be a regular.
I just made this for a healthy but use up stuff we had in the pantry and frig dinner. My husband gave it an A+ and I agree. So glad I had farro from a Thanksgiving dish I made last year. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Sue! Thanks for your review.
Made this tonigh and it checked all the boxes of a filling, summer-night dinner. I made a few edits I’d do again:
– no feta
– added leftover cold chicken
– used arugula and tossed with light dressing (olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice) before topping with the other components. I think it’d be a little dry or light on dressing without it
– swapped fresh cherry tomatoes for the sun-dried
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Kristy!
This was so so SO good! I was out of farro so substituted quinoa but I look forward to trying this with farro or rice in the future. I love that it can be served warm because I can eat this dish even in the cold weather months. It’s amazing how simple vegetarian ingredients create such amazing meals!
I made this recipe. It was freaking wonderful. Now I make it every week. Seriously….every week. I started doubling the recipe so I would have leftovers. There are only 2 people in my household including myself. :)
I love that! Thanks for sharing, Melissa!
this was FANTASTIC! even my boyfriend who hates cauliflower liked it! (bless him for giving it a go because he knew I really wanted to try it) it has stored great in the fridge and I have eaten leftovers today and it was just as yum! First time trying farro and can safely say will be going into rotation in our household!
I’m so glad you loved it, Mel!
This salad is absolutely delicious! It’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and is very portable. Truly a winner!
We made this recipe as listed and loved it! I mashed the garlic, olive oil and salt with a spoon to a paste for a more subtle taste. Combined with the all of the ingredients and lemon juice, it’s so delicious. We’ll be making this again, soon!
Made this dish with quinoa instead of Farro and it turned out absolutely delicious – so delicious that I made it again a week later for my daughter’s visit! The combination of the roasted cauliflower with the mediterranian flavours of olive oil,garlic, feta and olives make this dish out of this world and definitely restaurant worthy! It is going into the family receipe book for keeps!!
My boyfriend and I made this for dinner last night, it was absolutely amazing! I’ve never tried farro before but I definitely will again! I love reading through all your recipes, we can’t wait to try another one soon!!
Let me know what you try next, Kelly!
Fanstastic meal! We substituted sorghum and added red leaf lettuce and thoroughly enjoyed it
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I love it so much and Even my toddlers eat it!
I may be blind, but I couldn’t find a hint of when or where to add the garlic clove to the farro. Cook it in the water with it? what?
I made this last night and it was delicious! It was such a great side to our pork tenderloin, I’ll definitely make it again. So nice to have a fancied up (and EASY) version of vegetables for dinner. I plan on eating it as the main course in the future – very filling.
Hey! I just wanted to say thank you. Made this salad at a Christmas gathering and everyone loved it. And in general… My daughter’s been a vegetarian for a little over a year. We mostly eat vegetarian too, as a result. We used to struggle to find recipes, but finding your site has helped us a ton! When someone shows the way to make economical, uncomplicated, delicious, filling food that makes you feel great after eating; it’s no trouble at all to eat a healthier, more climate-friendly diet. Thank you!!
I have made this recipe twice it is hearty and delicious. Thanks Kate.
I have a really hard time eating salads (it bores me? I’m not sure) but this combo of leafy greens with warm, tasty grains is amazing.
Love your cookbook and site. Would love to see more recipes like this!
Thank you, Maddie! I love you are enjoying both my cookbook and blog.
Kate,
Over a year ago I was searching online for a recipe for healthy but tasty blueberry muffins. I tried yours and loved it. I began trying more of your recipes online and loved them too. So! I bought your book which has been like a bible! My husband has always been a big meat eater, but slowly, because of your tasty and healthy recipes, he is eating less meat and more vegetables and he loves your recipes too. I look forward to the recipes that you constantly post online in your newsletter as well. Tonight we ate the roasted yam recipe you posted this morning and the roasted cauliflower farro salad in your cookbook and online. Thank you!
Thank you for your comment, Catherine! This was a reminder of why I take the time to develop recipes and test them (a lot!). I appreciate your review.
Wow, this was so delicious that I made the salad twice in one week because my husband requested it again.
I had this enormous head of cauliflower in the refrigerator and searched for recipes that could be served as an entree. Your recipe sounded very appealing and it just so happened, I had ALL the ingredients in my kitchen.
The only changes I made was to cook the farro in unsalted vegetable broth, use an additional clove of garlic and add a small amount of french green lentils, which I cooked separately (also in vegetable broth).
P.S.
I agree. The view from George’s at the Cove in La Jolla is spectacular. I hope you had time to watch the seals.
This salad was so delicious. Every flavor pops. I cannot say enough good things about this recipe:
* perfect combo of texture
*flavor is so off the charts great. The garlic & lemon are spectacular with the saltiness from olives and feta make it really jump.
This fits my palette perfectly and will definitely be a repeat. 5 star gourmet salad.
Thank you Kate for posting these amazing recipes. Each one has been a hit and I love your new cookbook, I bought it twice, kindle and actual book.
Thank you so much, Peri! Delighted to hear you’re enjoying the recipes, and thank you so much for supporting my book!
Your recipes are fantastic and making it possible for me to convert my meat eating family to vegetarian food. This was my first experience cooking with farro and it turned out fabulous. We just added some pomegranate seeds, Thank you Kate
My husband and I love this recipe and that is HUGE. We have been married for 35 years next month and I have never cooked cauliflower for him because he does not like it at all! His cauliflower world changed with this recipe…but I did get the pale orange cauliflower, not the white. I am making it again with yet another type of cauliflower this week. Can’t wait. Fresh, healthy and delicious recipe! Thank you! Looking forward to many more like this!
I’ve recently been trying to eat a healthier diet and came across your blog. I’ve made a bunch of your recipes and, without exception, they’ve been amazing. This is one of my favorites. I love the combination of textures and it’s honestly so easy to throw together. I live alone so it’s nice that I can make this and have leftovers to snack on for a day or two. So glad I found you. Many thanks!
Great to hear you are enjoying so many, Wendy! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and review.
I have all the ingredients on hand to make this – I am wondering what you think about adding roasted butternut squash to it as well?
Yay! Sure, I think butternut would probably be nice with the cauliflower. You’ll probably need to divide the veggies by two pans if you’re using twice as much (if they’re crowded, they won’t brown).
We made this yummy recipe last night for dinner – wish we had taken a photo of it. It was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you!!!
The chewy farro is my favorite part of this dish, but it’s all good.
My daughter has been a vegetarian for about the last year and is finishing up her freshman year of college. My other daughter is finishing up her junior year of college and is not a vegetarian. They’re both unexpectedly home from school because of campuses shutting down. Meal planning is sometimes challenging but we have been alternating vegetarian meals with non- and trying to make enough for our vegetarian daughter to have leftovers the next day. Your website has been helpful for finding good recipes that everyone likes.
This recipe is so good I wish that I had made more of it. It is very hearty so it can also be used as a main course. We did not have the oil packed sun dried tomatoes – only dried. Since I am now trying to go out less often for shopping trips, I used the dried ones. I simply cut them up ahead of time and mixed with extra virgin olive oil. I also mixed in some Greek seasoning with the tomatoes and put them in the microwave for a short period and then let them sit until they softened up. I omitted the red pepper flakes because one of my kids is sensitive to spicy foods. We put them at the table so they could be added by whomever wanted them. It’s very good either way. My vegetarian daughter has just recently decided to give veganism a try so the feta was also left out. We also put that at the table. We served on baby spinach and put the avocado on top of it rather than underneath.
We will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your detailed comment! I’m happy that the blog (and this recipe) have been helpful to you and your family. Thanks for sharing how you are making this one, Ken.
So delicious! Even my kids loved it! Leftovers the next day we great too!
Thank you, Kristine!