Equipment
Ingredients
Grain Base
- 200 g farro
- 750 ml water
- 5 g kosher salt
Roasted Fennel
- 2 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced 1cm thick
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper
Salad Additions
- 4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 80 g castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
- 100 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 10 g fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 10 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Citrus Dressing
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 5 g honey
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 567 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 61 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 17 g
- Sodium
- 1660 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 20 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 22 mg
- Potassium
- 921 mg
- Calcium
- 243 mg
- Iron
- 3.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 43 mg
- Phosphorus
- 162 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 112 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 135 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.27 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 54 mcg
- Water
- 347 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Place the sliced fennel on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat the pieces and spread them into a single, uncrowded layer.
Roast the fennel for 25 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven when the edges are deeply caramelized and the centers are tender.
While the fennel roasts, combine the farro, water, and salt in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a rolling boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan tightly, and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes.
Drain any excess cooking water from the farro using a fine mesh strainer. Allow the grains to cool for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper until completely emulsified and smooth.
Add the warm farro, roasted fennel, dates, olives, feta cheese, mint, and parsley to the mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed and coated with the dressing.
Chef's Notes
- Castelvetrano olives are highly recommended for this dish. Their mild, buttery flavor profile lacks the harsh vinegary bite of standard green olives, allowing the sweet dates and delicate fennel to shine.
- For a vegan variation, swap the feta cheese for toasted marcona almonds or pistachios to maintain a salty crunch, and use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.
- Farro comes in pearled, semi-pearled, and whole varieties. This recipe assumes semi-pearled, which cooks in about 25 minutes. If using whole farro, you will need to simmer for up to 45 minutes or soak the grains overnight.
- To cut the dates effortlessly without them sticking to your knife, lightly rub the blade with a drop of neutral oil before chopping.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The farro will continue to absorb the dressing as it sits, so you may need to add a splash of olive oil or lemon juice before serving leftovers.
Troubleshooting
Farro is mushy and clumped together
Cause: Grains were overcooked or simmered too vigorously
Fix: Spread the cooked farro on a bare baking sheet in a single layer and let it steam-dry for 10 minutes before assembling the salad
Prevention: Begin tasting the farro at the 20-minute mark; look for a firm but tender bite
Fennel burns before becoming tender
Cause: Oven temperature too high or fennel sliced too thinly
Fix: Remove the thinner, burnt pieces early and lower the oven temperature slightly to allow thicker pieces to finish cooking
Prevention: Slice fennel bulbs uniformly to 1cm thickness and do not overcrowd the pan
Cultural Context
Farro is an ancient wheat grain that has been a rustic dietary staple in the Mediterranean for thousands of years, particularly prominent in Italian countryside cooking. Paired with regional cornerstones like dates, olives, and citrus, this bowl reflects the agricultural harmony of the Mediterranean basin, where sweet, salty, and acidic flavors naturally intertwine to create balanced, sustaining meals.
