This easy grain salad recipe is the ideal make-ahead lunch! Loaded up with grilled corn, fresh herbs, and pickled onions, it's hearty, flavorful, and fresh.
This post is in partnership with Jewel-Osco®.
Has anyone else been super busy lately? Between writing and recipe testing, working on projects around the house, and squeezing in fun summer activities, I feel like we’ve barely had a minute to rest, let alone do chores and errands like going to the grocery store.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s a good problem to have. I love being busy with work and getting outside to enjoy the warm weather. But when something comes along that makes humdrum, everyday tasks a little more convenient, I’m pretty darn happy about it.
Lately, the new Jewel-Osco® Deals and Delivery app along with the Jewel-Osco for U™ Member program has been SO handy. It’s an easy way to create a shopping list if you’re heading to the store, or if you don’t have time, it makes ordering grocery delivery a breeze. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve done a grocery order on Sunday morning and then had time to meal prep this late summer grain salad for lunches throughout the week.
Grain Salad Recipe Ingredients
This grain salad recipe is healthy, fresh, and packed with late-summer goodness like sweet corn and herbs. It keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, so it’s the perfect light, yet satisfying, lunch to make ahead for days when you need something quick.
Here’s what’s in it:
Garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil – They create a quick and easy dressing for this grain salad recipe.
Farro – I love its chewy texture and nutty flavor here.
Sweet corn – We’ll grill it before mixing it with the farro and herbs.
Roasted garbanzo beans and almonds – They add plant-based protein, toasty flavor, and plenty of crunch.
Dried apricots – For a touch of sweetness.
Fresh parsley and basil – I can never resist smothering a grain salad in herbs! They add fresh, unexpected flavor to this simple recipe.
Pickled red onions – For a pop of pink and bold, tangy flavor.
Feta or goat cheese – It offers a creamy contrast to the chewy farro, crisp corn, and crunchy chickpeas. But if you’re vegan or dairy-free, don’t worry about it! This farro salad is still delicious without it.
And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
When I make my shopping list on the Jewel-Osco® Deals and Delivery App, I always look at my Jewel-Osco for U™ weekly personalized deals and check for digital coupons for ingredients I buy often, like O Organics® Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and O Organics® Garbanzo Beans. It’s so convenient that I can find deals and create my grocery order in one place – no switching between apps or clipping paper coupons! New perks have arrived in the app as well, like a free birthday treat and a free monthly item.
Assembling This Grain Salad Recipe
When my grocery order arrives, I get to work assembling this grain salad recipe for the week.
I started by preparing the ingredients that need to be cooked: the farro, the garbanzo beans, the almonds, and the corn. I often have a jar of pickled onions on hand in the fridge, but if I don’t, I’ll whip them up too.
When the corn is cool enough to handle, I slice the kernels off the cob…
…and toss them in a large bowl with the dressing, the farro, the apricots, and the parsley. If you want to serve the salad right away, you could add the almonds and garbanzo beans at this stage, too. If you’re dividing the salad into meal prep containers for the week, I recommend sprinkling the almonds and chickpeas on top, or storing them separately at room temperature and adding them to the salad right before you eat.
Top with the pickled onions, the cheese, and the basil. Season to taste and serve, or (like me!) stash the salad in the fridge for later in the week.
When it’s so easy to shop for the ingredients to this salad, prepping it is no trouble at all. If you want to simplify shopping for groceries and feed your joy, download the new Jewel-Osco® Deals and Delivery app or visit jewelosco.com/foru for more info! You are automatically enrolled in the Jewel-Osco for U™ Member program when you download the app and right now new Members will receive a welcome offer of $5 off your $25 or more purchase!
More Favorite Packable Salads
If you love this recipe, try one of these packable salads next:
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Or any of these 37 Best Salad Recipes!
Summer Grain Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can O Organics® Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons O Organics® Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, more for drizzling
- 3 ears corn, husked
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- 4 cups cooked farro, from 1½ cups uncooked
- ⅓ cup dried apricots, diced
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup Open Nature® toasted almonds
- ⅓ cup pickled red onions
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 ounces goat or feta cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the garbanzo beans on a kitchen towel and pat them dry. Remove any loose skins. Transfer to the baking sheet and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and generous pinches of salt. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the corn on the pan and cook, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until all sides of the corn are cooked and light char marks form, about 15 minutes. Remove and slice the kernels off the cob.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, several grinds of pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add the farro, corn, apricots, and parsley, and toss.
- Divide the salad among bowls (or into individual containers), and top with the roasted garbanzo beans, almonds, pickled onions, basil, and goat cheese, if using.
This post is in partnership with JewelOsco®.
Another winner! Love the simplicity of the dressing and how well it compliments all the flavors in this fun salad. The almonds provide a nice crunch and go well with the nuttiness of the farro. I used dates instead of apricots, but I think any dried fruit would work. I also added some fresh cherry tomatoes. A great last hurrah of summer!
Hi Ali, I’m so glad you loved it!