Chicken Caprese Farro Salad

The easiest stunner of a side salad just made her entrance for your next party! Try my Chicken Caprese Farro Salad as one of those salads that somehow steals the show with its classic caprese pairings, nutty farro, and flavorful honey lemon balsamic vinaigrette. So easy and so much sparkle! Keep reading to see how I make my Chicken Caprese Farro Salad!

Chicken Caprese Farro Salad

This past weekend we threw a big birthday party at my house for my son. We filled the food table with kid friendly food like turkey and ham and cheese sandwiches, cheese pizza, and packs of animal crackers and granola balls. But there were a couple dishes that felt a bit more geared to the adults. This Chicken Caprese Farro Salad, though, was doing double duty. Farro and tomatoes screaming out for the adults while those sweet little mozzarella cheese balls had the kids inching toward becoming more adventurous. The best part? This Chicken Caprese Farro Salad couldn’t be easier to throw together.

Seriously. This is the kind of salad you can whip up while hanging decorations, ordering balloons, and prepping other party food. It comes together in two steps, and you can take as long as a break as you need between them. So make the farro and vinaigrette in the morning and add in the toppings right before you serve–couldn’t be easier.

I started this blog by professing my long time love for farro salad. I just love that nutty bite. And like quinoa or rice, it takes on the other flavors you add to it. It can be eaten warm or cold too. So, to me, it’s one of the friendliest grains to work with and build a salad around.

This Chicken Caprese version is absolutely delicious! It has all the flavors of caprese, but I think the honey and lemon in the dressing add a little something unexpected. They play well with balsamic and give the whole salad that little extra sunshine.

This Chicken Caprese Farro Salad was a huge hit at my party, and I’d love for you to try it too! It’s a wonderful intro to farro, too, if it’s a grain you haven’t worked with before. Here’s how I make it!

How I Make My Chicken Caprese Farro Salad

This salad is so simple to throw together that it’s really easy for a side dish at a party or for a simple weeknight meal! It can also be made in advance and holds up really well in the fridge.

Start by cooking the farro according to the package directions. I cooked mine just like pasta as it comes out perfect every time that way. You want to cook it so that it’s soft but still has a bite–a few too many minutes cooking takes farro from delicious to mushy, which you of course don’t want.

While the farro is cooking, shake up the dressing. I like to shake mine together in a glass jar. I add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and kosher salt and pepper to the jar. I like mine a bit on the sweet side–if you’d like yours a little less sweet, start with only 2 tsp of honey rather than a whole tablespoon. Put the lid on the jar (the most important step!!) and shake up the dressing! Pretend you’re a master cocktail shaker and put a little sass into it!

When the farro is done cooking, drain it. Immediately transfer it to a salad bowl and add the dressing. It will look like a lot of dressing as you mix it together. But part of the trick here is to get the dressing on the farro while it’s still hot because it will absorb it as it cools. So no stress on this.

Once the salad is cooled, add your toppings. I like to add rotisserie chicken cubes here. But this salad would be delicious vegetarian or with slices of prosciutto in it too. It’s very versatile. The mozzarella balls, tiny tomatoes, and torn basil go in too. Give it all a big stir so everything is evenly mixed. Add a pinch of salt and taste it for seasonings.

This farro salad is a lovely side for sandwiches or hot protein like salmon or grilled chicken. Because I added a protein to it, this could easily make a lunch or light dinner on its own too. It’s a true workhorse and a crowdpleaser in one!