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    Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Charlie Bird Farro Salad

    Published: Apr 1, 2020 · Modified: Jul 20, 2020 by Marissa Stevens · 24 Comments

    Vegetarian

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    charlie bird salad served in a white bowl

    The now famous Charlie Bird Farro Salad is a signature dish of the namesake restaurant in New York City's Soho neighborhood. There are a couple of reasons why the recipe captured my attention: first, Melissa Clark calls it 'one of the best' farro salads; second, that the farro is cooked in a new-to-me savory sweet concoction of apple cider, bay leaves, and salt.

    charlie bird farro salad served in a white bowl with a stainless spoon

    You can infuse an amazing amount of flavor into whole grains by cooking them along with aromatics and in liquid other than water. And though it does benefit from the extra flavorful farro, that's just a fraction of what makes the Charlie Bird Farro Salad sensational.

    What makes Charlie Bird's Farro Salad so good?

    To start with, the cooked and cooled farro is tossed in a zingy blend of fresh lemon juice, good olive oil, and salt. (This can be done up to one day ahead, making it a great salad for get togethers and weekday lunches.) Then you add an impressive array of ingredients: crunchy pistachios, sweet cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula, radishes, parsley, and mint.

    Charlie Bird Salad Ingredients

    Reading that list, you may be wondering (like I was) if they'll work together. Spoiler alert: they do! The salad's flavor is impressively well balanced. And with so many colors and textures, the salad is beautiful too. 

    A Few Recipe Changes

    Though I stuck to the major components of the recipe as Melissa Clark wrote it, I did make a few changes thanks to the recipe's comment thread.

    It's always entertaining and often enlightening to read the comment section of recipes from the New York Times. (You may remember the one I talked about with these Butter Cookies.) Readers weigh in with candid criticism and questions and offer tips and tricks of their own. This recipe's comment thread had a couple of themes: that the type of farro wasn't specified, and that the farro base was too salty.

    After testing the recipe both ways, I agree with many readers about the salt, so I've reduced it by half. And for the farro, I recommend whole farro (see my How to Cook Farro post to learn all about farro varieties and how to cook them). You can use pearled or semi-pearled farro in this recipe, but will need to reduce the cooking time by a bit more than half (see recipe note for specific instructions). 

    charlie bird farro salad photographed from above

    The final change was to toss the pistachios and cheese in with the other ingredients just before serving, instead of adding them with the dressing in the beginning. I didn't want the cheese to meld into the dressing or have the pistachios lose their crunch in an overnight stint in the refrigerator.

    More of My Favorite Main Course Salads

    • Fregola Sarda with Radicchio and Hazelnuts
    • Greek Farro Salad
    • Kale and Quinoa Salad
    • and so many more in this Main Course Salads collection

    How to Make Charlie Bird Farro Salad

    Step 1: Combine farro, apple cider, water, salt and bay leaves in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 30-35 minutes until farro is tender. Let cool. When cool, discard bay leaf and fluff with fork.

    Cooking Farro in Apple Juice and Aromatics

    Step 2: Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil in a large salad bowl.

    Step 3: Add farro to dressing and toss to coat. To serve, add remaining ingredients (cheese, pistachio nuts, arugula, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and radish), gently fold to combine. Season with flaky sea salt to taste and serve.

    tossing farro with other salad ingredients
    Charlie Bird Salad ready to serve
    Charlie Bird Farro Salad

    Charlie Bird Farro Salad

    Marissa Stevens
    The famed farro salad from Charlie Bird restaurant in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. Recipe adapted from Melissa Clark and the New York Times.
    5 from 10 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Cooling time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine American, Mediterranean
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 425 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup whole farro see recipe note #1 for using semi-pearled farro
    • 1 cup apple cider
    • 2 cups cold water
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 lemon juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 ½ ounces parmesan cheese coarsely grated or shaved with a vegetable peeler (about ½ cup)
    • 2 ½ ounces chopped pistachio nuts about ½ cup
    • 3 ounces baby arugula leaves
    • 1 ounce flat leaf parsley or basil leaves, torn, about 1 cup
    • 1 ounce mint leaves torn, about 1 cup
    • ¾ cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
    • ⅓ cup thinly sliced radish
    • flaky sea salt such as Maldon, for finishing

    Instructions
     

    • Bring farro, apple cider, water, salt and bay leaves to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat; let simmer 30-35 minutes, or until farro is tender and liquid evaporates. Set aside to cool. (recipe note #2) Once farro is cool, discard bay leaves and fluff with fork.
    • In a large salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Add farro and gently toss to coat. (You can keep this salad base for 4 hours at room temperature or refrigerate overnight. Bring farro mixture to room temperature before adding remaining ingredients.)
    • When you're ready to serve, gently fold in cheese, pistachio nuts, arugula, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and radish. Season to taste with flaky sea salt and serve.

    Notes

    1. If you use semi-pearled farro, reduce amount of water to 1 ⅔ cups (total 2 ⅔ cups total liquid between apple cider and water) and check package for cooking time, typically 10-15 minutes. 
    2. If you want to speed the cooling process; lower the pan with cooked farro into an ice bath (taking care to avoid any water spilling into the farro); gently stir to cool farro quickly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 11gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 599mgPotassium: 451mgFiber: 8gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1167IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword 4th of July, baby shower, Memorial Day
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Joan says

      November 06, 2022 at 6:41 am

      Love this recipe but To make this recipe gluten free, II’m thinking of subbing quinos for farro. Would i cook quinoa in apple cider (rather than water)?
      Any other changes?
      Manu thanks!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        November 06, 2022 at 7:28 am

        Hi Joan! Quinoa is a great, gluten-free swap in for farro in this recipe. Since you'll need less liquid to cook the quinoa, I'd go with a similar ratio of water to apple juice. So if you use one cup of quinoa to 2 cups of liquid, use 1 1/3 cups of water and 2/3 cup of apple juice. I hope that helps. Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Jennifer Elders says

      January 11, 2022 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      My dear friend found this recipe and we both immediately KNEW we would love it! We shared getting the ingredients and had a girls day and made this salad together.. It was nothing short of fabulous!!! Unfortunately, we were unable to find mint, but we plan on making it again (and again!!!) so we will add it the next time. We both know it will be a great addition. Having said that we absolutely enjoyed ever last bite of this amazing salad even without the mint. Thank you for posting it.!!! Its a keeper for sure!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        January 12, 2022 at 8:47 am

        aww I love this, Jennifer! So glad this salad is a hit for you and your friend.

        Reply
    3. vm says

      June 13, 2021 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely fantastic. Made it exactly as written except I swapped in Pecorino Romano for the Parm.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        June 14, 2021 at 9:27 am

        So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. annie@ciaochowbambina says

      April 05, 2020 at 12:50 pm

      5 stars
      Adding farro to green leafy salads is a favorite addition of mine. I haven't heard of this salad, but now it's all I want! Thank you for sharing, my friend! Hope all is well! xo

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 05, 2020 at 4:21 pm

        Thank you so much, Annie. Be safe and well, my friend. xo

        Reply
    5. Valentina says

      April 02, 2020 at 4:33 pm

      5 stars
      I love mixing farro into green salads like this one. I hadn't heard of this famous salad before. Exciting new info for me. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 03, 2020 at 2:24 pm

        Yay! I hope you'll give this one a try, Valentina!

        Reply
    6. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

      April 02, 2020 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      I want to make a big bowl of this and have it for lunch every day this week 🙂 I love a hearty salad like this and since your last farro post I've really been craving that nutty, chewy texture! Digging in!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 02, 2020 at 2:27 pm

        Woohoo! You know I love to hear that, Katherine. Thank you!

        Reply
    7. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

      April 02, 2020 at 12:51 pm

      5 stars
      Well, it's official - I live under a rock! I've never heard of the Charlie Bird restaurant, but this salad sure does sound (and look) delicious!! I'm totally intrigued by the farro cooking liquid! I am a salad fanatic, so this one is going on my must try IMMEDIATELY list! Pinned!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 02, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        I hadn't heard of Charlie Bird until I came across this recipe - so don't feel alone! (West coast girl here. 😉 ) I'm excited for you to try this, Cheyanne! The flavor is truly amazing.

        Reply
    8. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      April 02, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      I have never heard of the Charlie Bird Salad, but looking at the list of ingredients, I know I'd love it. Farro added to any salad makes it so much more satisfying. Can't wait to try this one Marissa!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 02, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        Love to hear that, Mary Ann! Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      April 02, 2020 at 4:43 am

      5 stars
      So awesome that you can take a popular recipe like that and make it at home....even better! This looks like my kinda salad, Marissa! So hearty and poppin' with fresh flavours....love it!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 02, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        Thanks so much, Dawn!

        Reply
    10. David @ Spiced says

      April 02, 2020 at 3:31 am

      5 stars
      Oh, those comments. You really do have to take them with a grain of salt - and in this case, that was too much salt. 🙂 So I'm not familiar with this salad, but it does indeed sound delicious. I love a good farro salad! I must admit that the mint caught me off guard. Everything else makes sense, but the mint surprises me. However, if you say the flavors work, then I believe you! I'll have to try this salad out soon. It looks delicious...and perfect for Spring, too!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 02, 2020 at 1:14 pm

        The mint works, I promise! Excited for you to try this, David!

        Reply
    11. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says

      April 02, 2020 at 12:24 am

      5 stars
      I love the idea of cooking the farro and infusing it at the same time - this is such a great tip! I will definitely try it soon.. this salad looks superb!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 02, 2020 at 1:14 pm

        It makes all the difference, Alexandra! Excited for you to try it. 🙂

        Reply
    12. angiesrecipes says

      April 01, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      This looks beyond delicious! The flavour, colour and plating...just perfect!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 02, 2020 at 1:14 pm

        Thank you so much, Angie!

        Reply

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