My favorite springtime salad is made with cooked and cooled farro, arugula, pickled rhubarb, avocados, shallots, spiced walnuts, and honey goat cheese, drenched in a delicious rhubarb vinaigrette. The flavors pair beautifully together. The sweet and tangy flavor of the pickled rhubarb provides a refreshing contrast to the greens and farro. This salad is super exciting, nutritious, and absolutely delicious.
Despite making so many sweets all the time, we do eat very healthy 90% of the time. I don’t always share our regular meals, but when a recipe is so SO GOOD, I just can’t help myself.
After making this pickled rhubarb salad for several years, welcoming rhubarb season and testing out different flavor combinations, this one checks all the yummy boxes for me! The rhubarb vinaigrette dressing is so simple and easy by using the pickling liquid. I have a separate quick pickled rhubarb recipe made with one fresh rhubarb stalk if you need it too. Feel free to customize this salad in a way that fits flavors you like best.
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Ingredients
- Farro (I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro)
- Avocado (1 large or 2 small)
- Pickled rhubarb (recipe here)
- Arugula (baby spinach or baby kale will do, too!)
- Shallot
- Walnuts
- Salt, black pepper, and olive oil, for cooking
- Honey goat cheese (any soft or slightly sweet cheese works)
- Cinnamon or warm spice blend
- Herbs like chives or parsley *optional
Note: When cooking the farro, you can use either water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth for added flavor.
Farro is an ancient grain known for its nutty flavor and chewy texture. Nutritionally, farro is a powerhouse. It’s rich in fiber, keeping you full longer, and is a great source of protein, vitamins like B3 (niacin), and minerals like magnesium and iron.
How to make & assemble the salad
Cook the farro
By cooking farro in broth, veggie or chicken, it adds extra flavor to eat bite. After the farro is fully cooked, strain it and run a little cold water over the top to cool it down. Set aside to drain the water.
Prep the veggies
While the farro is cooking, slice the avocado and coat it in apple cider vinegar to keep it fresh. Slice the shallot. Chop any fresh herbs, like chives or parsley if desired.
Cook the shallot
In a small saucepan with olive oil, cook the shallots on medium heat to soften them and mellow out their flavor. Set aside when translucent or slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Make the spiced walnuts
In the same saucepan with a little more olive oil, lightly toast the walnuts on medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the cinnamon and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Assemble the salad
Add the cooled farro, avocado, spiced walnuts, arugula, pickled rhubarb, and goat cheese to a bowl. Pour pickled rhubarb brine, a drizzle of olive oil, and pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Toss. Top with fresh herbs or more cheese if desired.
Serving and storing instructions
This salad is best when made and eaten the same day. If you’d like to prep it a day ahead of time, omit the avocado, cheese, and salad greens until you’re ready to serve it. It’s best if eaten within 24 hours of being made.
Add any additional protein you’d like. This salad would be great with chicken, pork, marinated tofu, or seared steak.
Love rhubarb? Try my favorite rhubarb desserts!
I have a gorgeous rhubarb upside down cake that is absolutely heavenly. If you love a bit of a baking challenge, my strawberry rhubarb curd tart is absolutely delicious. Curd can be difficult to make if you’re not quite used making it, though.
Farro, Avocado, & Pickled Rhubarb Salad
The sweet and tangy flavor of the pickled rhubarb provides a refreshing contrast to the greens and farro. This salad is super exciting, nutritious, and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water (vegetable broth or chicken broth can be used)
- 1 cup (190 g) farro, uncooked
- 1 large avocado or 2 small avocados
- 2 oz (57 g) arugula or baby spinach or kale (heavier greens)
- 1 cup (1 stalk) pickled rhubarb
- ½ cup (113 ml) pickled rhubarb brine
- 1 shallot
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice blend
- 2 oz (57 g) honey goat cheese or soft cheese alternative
- salt, pepper, and olive oil, for cooking
- fresh herbs, like chives or parsley *optional
Instructions
Cook the farro
-
In a 3 quart saucepan, bring 2 qts of water (or broth) to a boil. Add 1 cup of farro. and cook 18-20 minutes or until tender (double check the package of cooking instructions for length of time needed). After the farro is fully cooked, remove from heat, strain it and run a little cold water over the top to cool it down. Set aside to drain thoroughly.
*By cooking farro in broth, veggie or chicken, it adds extra flavor to eat bite.
Prep the veggies
-
While the farro is cooking, slice the avocado and coat it in apple cider vinegar to keep it from browning, add pinch of salt or pepper. Slice the shallot. Chop any fresh herbs, like chives or parsley if desired.
Cook the shallot
-
In a small saucepan with olive oil, cook the shallots on medium heat to soften them and mellow out their flavor. Set aside when translucent or slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Toast the walnuts
-
In the same saucepan with a little more olive oil, lightly toast the walnuts on medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the cinnamon and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Assemble the salad
-
Add the cooled farro, avocado, spiced walnuts, arugula, pickled rhubarb, and goat cheese to a bowl. Drizzle with pickled rhubarb brine, olive oil, salt, and pepper, to taste. Toss. Top with fresh herbs or more cheese if desired.
Recipe Notes
Quick recipe for pickled rhubarb can be found here. Pickle your rhubarb before making the salad.
Serving and storing instructions
This salad is best when made and eaten the same day. If you’d like to prep it a day ahead of time, omit the avocado, cheese, and salad greens until you’re ready to serve it. It’s best if eaten within 24 hours of being made.
Add any additional protein you’d like. This salad would be great with chicken, pork, marinated tofu, or seared steak.
Sally Palmer says
Hi Stephanie,
I made your Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookie dough, but the consistency is not right. The dough is not holding together. Think I made need to add a second egg. It is like pie dough that hasn’t had the water or milk added to it. Was planning to refrigerate overnight and bake cookies in the morning, for a gift. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Sincerely,
Sally
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Sally, it is very possible you may have used 3/4 stick of butter instead of 3/4 cup? I made this recipe again today and weighed out each ingredient as specified in the recipe, thinking maybe I had a typo. My cookies came out perfect. Did you weigh your ingredients? Measuring with cups has a varying degree of accuracy, especially when it comes to flour.