If you are looking for a light and refreshing garden fresh salad, look no further than this simple farro salad recipe with lemon and cucumber! This healthy salad is reminiscent of tabbouleh (tabouli) and can be customized based on what's currently growing in your garden! I can't get enough of the herbaceous notes of fresh parsley and green onions. Save this at the top of your list of lemon cucumber recipes!
It's sunny early May as I am writing this, and I've just planted the cucumber trellises in our garden. When I'm not dreaming of refrigerator pickles and simple garden pesto, I'm planning the perfect side dish for a crunchy salad with lemon cucumber slices! So many possibilities! If cucumbers aren't in season, grocery stores generally carry them year round.
A perfect compliment for fresh cucumber is an acid, either from fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. There are many variations of healthy recipes that can have either a bold or milder flavor, depending on your taste. Refrigerator pickles, fresh lemon cucumber salad, and creamy mayonnaise cucumber onion slices are three examples of simple salad recipes that have just a few ingredients.
My favorite, and the one we are making today, is a simple farro salad recipe with lemon and cucumber, plus plenty of fresh herbs!
Jump to:
ingredients for farro salad with lemon and cucumber
These salad ingredients are both easy and common! Nothing fancy. Grab your herb shears and lets make a delicious salad!
- cooked farro | Use this simple tutorial for making cooked farro and how to store any extra.
- cucumbers: I like making this salad with small and tender lemon cucumbers, but any garden fresh cucumbers with tender skin would work. In my garden I am growing munchers, marketmores, and mini me. There are also many heirloom variety cucumbers that would work well!
- cherry tomatoes | My favorite varieties are sweet cherry tomatoes, but any finely chopped garden tomatoes are fine.
- parsley | The Lebanese side of my husbands family prefers LOTS of fresh parsley, using an entire bunch. It can be a little overwhelming to my tastebuds, so I use less.
- lemon and lemon zest | Zest and squeeze! The bright lemon flavor is key to this recipe!
- onion | red onion or green onions are both great options to add a bit of kick to this recipe.
- garlic | this is optional, and I know many people avoid raw garlic due to digestive issues, but I think it really makes this recipe delicious.
- stone ground mustard
- salt & black pepper
- extra-virgin olive oil
See recipe card for quantities.
how to make a simple farro salad with lemon and cucumber
Cook the farro and spread it on a baking sheet to cool.
Chop the regular cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and onions into tiny pieces. Put them in medium bowl and set aside for now.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, stone ground mustard, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
Toss the cucumber mixture and cooked farro with the dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
Hint: farro salad gets better with time. I like to make this a day ahead and refrigerate it of an easy grab-and-go salad for barbecues and picnics.
What other fresh herbs are good in a farro salad?
- lemon verbena
- basil leaves
- fresh mint
- fresh dill
- heirloom tomatoes
- dried sumac
variations to this farro recipe
There are many ways to achieve different flavor profiles with this recipe!
Greek: To switch the middle eastern flavor profile to more of a greek cucumber salad, add finely chopped oregano and use red onions instead of green. For the dressing, add a tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and (optional) greek yogurt.
Mexican: During the early summer months, cilantro grows prolifically in my garden. Omit the parsley and use fresh cilantro and oregano. Make a creamy avocado dressing by combining the lime juice instead of lemon, olive oil, cilantro, onions, black pepper and an avocado in a blender. Pour the dressing over the farro. For a spicy kick, add a small amount of chili paste.
Lebanese: Add extra parsley, fresh mint and dried sumac for a more traditional tabbouleh-style farro salad.
As an amazon associate, this post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
helpful tools
This simple salad can be made with a knife, cutting board, large bowl and a stock pot. But... if you are like me, sometimes it's nice to have an easy button. I discovered this vegetable chopper last fall when I was making a soup recipe that had a demo. Chopping veggies like carrots, onion, potatoes and the cucumbers in this salad couldn't be easier!
Another little kitchen gadget that I didn't necessarily want to love was my herb scissors. I wanted to just keep living my life in blissful ignorance, chopping herbs the old fashioned way, but these are just too convenient. Parsley, cilantro, basil and rosemary. All of my favs, perfectly cut in speedy record time!
this salad goes great with
I absolutely adore this on top of a plate piled high with fresh greens. I recommend a salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing that can be found on my Simple Garden Salads post.
To add a little protein, pair with an Air Fryer Chicken Breast. Yummm! Serve it with a side of crusty Sourdough Bread.
Storage
This salad can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Leftovers are best eaten It is best fresh or refrigerated, not frozen.
Top tip
Lemon cucumber recipes are all about balance. The tangy acid of the lemon, the mellow cucumber, the fresh herbs. My top tip is to finely chop the herbs and veggies and add more than you think you'll need! The more, the merrier.
FAQ
No, lemon cucumbers are tender and have a mild flavored peel. There is no need to remove the peel or seeds!
They can be eaten raw, marinated in a pickling brine, or even as a refrigerator pickle. There are many ways to enjoy lemon cucumbers! I like to eat them chopped into bitesized pieces and added to fresh garden salads.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
Recipe
Simple Farro Salad with Lemon and Cucumber
Equipment
- knife & cutting board
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups farro cooked
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 cucumbers finely chopped
- 5 green onions finely chopped
- 1 lemon plus zest
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the farro and spread it on a baking sheet to cool.
- Chop the regular cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and onions into tiny pieces. Put them in medium bowl and set aside for now.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, stone ground mustard, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- Toss the cucumber mixture and cooked farro with the dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
Comments
No Comments