• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Salads
VG Vegetarian

Southwestern Farro Salad Recipe with Poblanos

4.50
/5
1 hr 10 mins
4 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 05/20/2020Updated: 07/18/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Exploding with color and flavor, this farro salad recipe has it all: roasted sweet potatoes, spicy roasted poblano peppers, black beans, corn, and cilantro, with an easy homemade chili lime dressing.

Exploding with color and flavor, this farro salad recipe has it all: roasted sweet potatoes, spicy roasted poblano peppers, black beans, corn, and cilantro, with an easy homemade chili lime dressing.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: This is one of my favorite salads! Leftovers are great for lunches; you’ll be glad this recipe makes a big batch.

How long it takes: just over an hour
Equipment you’ll need: sheet pan, oven, large bowl
Servings: 8

Colorful farro salad in a white bowl. Ingredients included are farro, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted poblano peppers, roasted red onion, cilantro, and queso fresco cheese.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 What Is Farro?
  • 3 About This Salad
  • 4 What You’ll Need
  • 5 How To Make This Recipe
  • 6 Make It Your Own
  • 7 Make-Ahead Ideas
  • 8 Storage Tips
  • 9 More Farro Recipes
  • 10 Get the Recipe: Southwestern Farro Salad Recipe with Poblanos

Farro salads are way at the top of my favorites list. Roasted vegetables are right up there, too. So this southwestern farro salad recipe with roasted sweet potatoes, poblano peppers, and red onions has rocketed right to the top. Friends, I could eat this salad every day and not grow tired of it! I know you’re going to love it too!

What Is Farro?

Have you tried farro yet? Farro has been around for literally thousands of years but has more recently become popular again. It’s an ancient wheat grain, usually emmer wheat, although it can be einkorn or spelt.

Farro has a nutty flavor, a chewy texture, and loads of health benefits. It is a whole grain and is NOT gluten-free.

So delicious, and healthy, this vegetarian farro salad recipe is sure to become one of your favorites, too. 

Colorful southwestern farro salad in a white bowl with a black spoon. A bunch of fresh cilantro is also pictured.

About This Salad

If you’re looking for a side salad with lettuce or greens, southwestern farro salad isn’t it. This farro salad recipe is hearty, perfect for a vegetarian main dish, or a substantial side dish.

Enjoy it for a satisfying lunch or dinner. You won’t be feeling hungry again in an hour because the complex carbohydrates will stick with you for awhile.

I often bring this salad to potlucks or other dinners. It can be made a couple of hours ahead and it always goes well. Everyone seems to love it.

I’ll get you started here and give you helpful tips. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card near the end of the post with complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.

What You’ll Need

  • Cooked Farro: You can usually find farro in grocery stores or online. It can be pearled, semi-pearled, or whole. All three choices are great; pearled farro cooks more quickly than whole farro. It has a milder flavor but fewer nutrients because the husk and bran have been removed.
  • Poblano Peppers: Very dark green in color, poblano peppers are longer and narrower than bell peppers, and can be more spicy. The heat level seems to vary a lot. If you prefer, substitute bell peppers.
  • Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need a couple of good-sized sweet potatoes. Scrub and trim them well; they don’t need to be peeled.
  • Red Onion: This type of onion is flavorful and holds its shape well when roasted but other onions are fine. Use what you have.
  • Olive Oil: The vegetables are tossed with olive oil before roasting. You’ll also add olive oil to the easy homemade dressing.
  • Black Beans: I usually look for low-sodium beans. Drain the beans in a small colander in the sink; rinse the sludgy stuff off with water, and drain again.
  • Corn: In a perfect world, we’d always use corn freshly cut off the cob. It’s so good! But … a can of corn is just fine. Frozen corn, too.
  • Queso Fresco: This fresh Mexican cheese is soft and crumbly, somewhat like feta cheese. It’s mild in flavor.
  • Fresh Cilantro: It’s okay to use some small stems as well as the leaves. Be sure to rinse and dry it as well as you can.
  • Homemade Dressing: You’ll need the juice from a couple of limes, olive oil, honey, and chili powder.

How To Make This Recipe

Begin by making the farro. Follow the package directions. It can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on what type it is. This can easily be done ahead of time. I almost always have a couple bags of cooked farro in my freezer.

Roast the poblanos using one of the 4 methods outlined in this post. For this farro salad recipe, I recommend using the oven method since you’ll be using the oven anyways to roast the sweet potatoes and red onions. You might as well do it all at once, right?

Whisk together the easy dressing: lime juice, olive oil, honey, and chili powder. By the way, this dressing is delicious on all sorts of salads with a southwestern flair.

Okay, now it’s time to assemble that delicious southwestern farro salad! Combine the roasted vegetables, farro, black beans, corn, queso fresco, and cilantro, then gently fold in the dressing. 

Garnish with more cheese and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!

Farro salad made with poblano peppers, roasted sweet potatoes and onions, queso fresco, black beans and corn.

Make It Your Own

  • Make this salad dairy-free simply by leaving out the cheese, or using a non-dairy cheese. Vegans, same thing, and use agave instead of honey.
  • Looking for gluten-free recipes? You can substitute another sturdy grain for the farro, such as quinoa or brown rice. 
  • Instead of poblano peppers, for a less spicy salad, substitute red or green bell peppers, cut into one inch pieces. You can roast those right with the sweet potatoes and red onions, no need to peel.
  • Use a store-bought dressing of your choice instead of making your own. 

Make-Ahead Ideas

You can make the components of the salad ahead. I usually cook the whole bag of farro at once so I can easily put together one of the recipes listed below, or a brand new one.

Make a big batch of farro and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months (Bob’s Red Mill has more information about this, if you’re interested). Cooked farro will keep in the fridge for four to five days.

Roast the veggies ahead of time, too. They can be stored in the fridge for at least three to four days.

Storage Tips

Have some salad left over? Tightly covered, southwestern farro salad will keep in the fridge for three to four days. It will taste just as good as the day you made it. Perfect for lunchboxes, too.

Farro salad with a black spoon.

More Farro Recipes

Since farro is so nutritious, filling, and versatile, I like to use it in lots of recipes. Here’s a few for you to consider:

  • Kale Salad with farro and honey Dijon dressing
  • Farro Salad with butternut squash, bacon, and cranberries (perfect for fall)
  • Farro Salad with za’atar, broccoli and feta (with flavors of the Middle East)
  • Farro Salad with chicken, beets, and red wine vinaigrette
  • Stuffed Acorn Squash with farro, sausage, and apples
  • Instant Pot Farro Stuffing with sausage and sweet potatoes (a main dish, or a hearty side)
  • Chicken Soup with Farro and Vegetables

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Southwestern farro salad with sweet potatoes and poblanos.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Southwestern Farro Salad Recipe with Poblanos

4.50 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
8 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Exploding with color and flavor, this farro salad recipe has it all: roasted sweet potatoes, spicy roasted poblano peppers, black beans, corn, and cilantro, with an easy homemade chili lime dressing.

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 3 poblano peppers
  • 2 cups cooked farro, cooked according to package directions
  • 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ½ red onion, cut into ½ inch chunks
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15.25 oz.) corn, drained, or 1 ½ cups fresh kernels (thawed frozen corn is fine, too)
  • ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Optional garnishes: additional chopped cilantro and queso fresco

Dressing:

  • 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF. 
  • Place whole poblano peppers on a baking sheet (line with foil for easy clean-up) and roast for 40 minutes or until skins are blackened, flipping once.
  • Meanwhile, on a separate baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes and onions with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once, or until golden brown and fork tender. 
  • When peppers are blackened, place them in a plastic bag, or a bowl covered with plastic wrap and let cool for 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel off skins using your hands or a paper towel. Discard skin. Remove stems and seeds. Dice.
  • In a large bowl, combine farro, roasted sweet potatoes and onions, diced poblanos, black beans, corn, queso fresco, and cilantro.
  • In a small measuring cup, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, and chili powder. Pour over salad and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed
  • Serve immediately or store tightly covered in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Notes

  • Dairy-free: omit cheese, or use a non-dairy cheese.
  • Vegan: omit cheese, use agave instead of honey.
  • Gluten free: Use quinoa or brown rice instead of farro.
  • For less spiciness, substitute red or green bell peppers for the poblanos. Cut the peppers into one inch chunks and roast them right with the sweet potatoes and onions.
  • Use a store-bought dressing of your choice instead of making your own. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 446mg, Potassium: 618mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 8494IU, Vitamin C: 44mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Free email series

5 Time & Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Farro Salad with Za'atar and Broccoli - This unique salad is perfect to eat as a meal or as a side dish. Get the easy recipe on RachelCooks.com!
    Farro Salad with Za'atar, Broccoli and Feta
  • Overhead of round bright red bowl containing farro salad.
    Farro Salad with Chicken, Beets, and Red Wine Vinaigrette
  • image of a classic taco salad recipe on a plate with a black and white linen and wooden serving utensils in the background of the photo.
    Taco Salad Recipe - with optional homemade dressing
  • Overhead view of a colorful chopped salad on a grey plate. Salad includes bbq grilled chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato, crispy tortilla strips, avocado, corn and more!
    Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad (best chopped salad!)
Image of an electric mixer beater with lemon cream cheese frosting on it.
Previous Post
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Close-up image of a muffin flecked with fresh strawberries and gooey dark chocolate chips. More strawberries and chocolate chips are pictured in the background.
Next Post
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. HatFullofCrazy says

    September 9, 2022 at 8:19 pm

    Made a modified version tonight. Bell peppers for my delicate stomach, and the dressing was more lemon because I’m out of limes. Oops! It was still great!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 13, 2022 at 11:23 am

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. denise says

    May 21, 2020 at 2:01 am

    looks delicious.

    I’ve had farro once–received it in a meal kit.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 23, 2020 at 7:57 am

      It’s really tasty, and so filling!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled