Salmon Farro Salad with Corn and Bacon
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Salmon Farro Salad with Corn and Bacon is basically summer in a bowl. Seared blackened salmon, crispy bacon, nutty farro, sweet summer corn, and fresh garden tomatoes all tossed together with a simple dijon dressing.
I could live on grain salads in the summer, easy to make, perfect for leftovers, delicious warm or cold, easy – breezy – beautiful… you know the rest 😉
For this farro salad, I spiced a few salmon filets, seared them to perfection, and flaked the salmon into the salad. Protein + omega 3 fatty acids + FLAVOR = summer salad bliss.
Also, bacon and corn and tomatoes, because we are really going for a full summer theme here and salmon + bacon is always a good idea.
Let’s Get Cooking!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Wild Salmon – I used blackening season on the salmon, but simple salt and pepper also work perfectly. My salmon of choice is from Vital Choice, there are always some salmon filets just waiting to be defrosted.
- Farro – My all-time favorite grain, see below.
- Bacon – You can easily omit this if you don’t eat pork, or if you are feeling super fancy you can substitute with my vegan eggplant bacon!
- Corn – Fresh from the farm baby!
- Tomatoes
- Olive oil, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper
TOOLS YOU WILL USE
TIPS FOR MAKING GRAIN SALADS SUPER FLAVORFUL!
If you love me you will never, ever, ever serve a dry grain salad. Never. Don’t do it. Dry grain salads make puppies cry.
You need to build flavor every step of the way for the best, a burst of goodness in every bite kind of salad.
- Boil the farro in salted water – your first and most important moment to season your grain!
- Dress the grain while it’s still warm – in this salad I use a very simple dijon dressing, just be sure to dress while the farro is still warm (not piping hot)
- Make sure every other component in the dish has flavor!
- Salmon is seared with blackening spice
- Char the corn until toasty and blackened – this carmelizes the sugar in the corn and makes it simply divine!
- Add a ton of fresh herbs, chives are my favorite but tarragon, basil, or even parsley would work.
- Finish with a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt – Maldon Sea Salt is my favorite
How to Perfectly Grill Corn on the Cob without an outdoor Grill:
- Char corn over a gas stovetop. Turn on a gas burner and place corn on the cob directly over the flame. Using tongs, carefully turn the cob until you have reached a peak level of char (see all that gorgeous black on the corn kernels? that is what I consider peak char level). Just be cautious because the kernels can pop and explode, making this a slightly dangerous endeavor.
- OR – Remove corn from cob and char in a dry cast-iron skillet. You can achieve nearly the same amount of smokey grill flavor by just toasting the kernels in a dry skillet. I prefer the open flame method, but a cast-iron skillet works equally well.
- OR – Use an indoor cast iron grill pan. Heat the pan until screaming hot and place your corn cobs on the grill pan. Turn carefully until charred.
EXPERT NUTRITION ADVICE
Meet My Favorite Grain – Farro!
Farro is an ancient grain that has been traced back to early Mesopotamia. Farro has a nutty chewy texture and is perfect in soups, stews, and salads.
It is a highly nutritious grain an excellent source of protein, fiber, zinc, and B vitamins.
Nutritional Value in 1/4 cup of dry farro
- 200 calories
- 1.5 g total fat
- 37 g carbohydrates
- 7 g fiber
- 30g net carbs
- 7g protein
How to Cook Farro
Farro cooks like pasta, no need to perfectly measure the water!
There are 2 methods:
Traditional:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add 1 cup of farro, boil for 30 minutes, drain.
Pre-soak:
- Soak 1 cup of farro in water overnight or for several hours. Drain.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add farro and boil for 10 minutes, drain.
My preferred method is pre-soak. Trader Joe’s sells “10 Minute Farro” which is pre-soaked and boils in 10 minutes. Winning!
POSSIBLE DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE
- Gluten-Free – Replace the farro, which is not a gluten-free grain, with quinoa or rice
- Paleo – Replace the farro with cauliflower rice
More tasty dishes:
Salmon Wellington
Radicchio Salad with Mint and Pomegranate
Check out my summer side dishes, quick weeknight dinner recipes, anti-inflammatory recipes, July recipes and August recipes roundups for more tastiness!
You can also check out my Best Meat Subscription & Delivery Boxes review to find ingredients to order for this recipe.
I can’t wait for you to try this Salmon Farro Salad with Corn and Bacon! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Salmon Farro Salad with Corn and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 8 ounces salmon
- 1/2 tsp blackening seasoning
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 2 cups sliced tomato
- 2 tbsp fresh chives
Dijon Dressing
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, once boiling add 1 cup of farro and cook for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While farro is cooking prepare bacon: Cook in a cast iron skillet until crispy. When finished set bacon aside on a dish lined with paper towels. Spill out all but 1 tsp of bacon fat from the skillet.
- Prepare salmon by drizzling with avocado oil and coating in blackening seasoning (or salt and pepper). Sear in same skillet the bacon was cooked in. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked to medium. Flake salmon and set aside.
- Char corn on the cob by slicing from the cob and toasting in a dry skillet.
- Prepare dressing by whisking together all ingredients
- Assemble: Toss farro, corn, tomatoes, and chive with dressing. Top with salmon and bacon. Serve immediately or chill in a covered container in refrigerator. Serve within 5 days.
Notes
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add 1 cup of farro, boil for 30 minutes, drain.
- Soak 1 cup of farro in water overnight or for several hours. Drain.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add farro and boil for 10 minutes, drain.
- Char corn over a gas stovetop. Turn on a gas burner and place corn on the cob directly over the flame. Using tongs, carefully turn the cob until you have reached peak level of char (see all that gorgeous black on the corn kernels? that is what I consider peak char level). Just be cautious because the kernels can pop and explode, making this a slightly dangerous endeavor.
- OR – Remove corn from cob and char in a dry cast iron skillet. You can achieve nearly the same amount of smokey grill flavor by just toasting the kernels in a dry skillet. I prefer the open flame method, but a cast iron skillet works equally well.
- OR – Use an indoor cast iron grill pan. Heat the pan until screaming hot and place your corn cobs on the grill pan. Turn carefully until charred.
Nutrition
MORE DELICIOUS SALAD RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
Ripe Peach and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Mediterranean Farro Salad with Eggplant
Meet Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN
Abra is a licensed nutritionist, seasoned home cook, and forever flavor-chaser. She’s spent more than two decades exploring the connection between food and health—and just as long obsessing over what makes something truly delicious. Abra’s Kitchen is where those two loves meet, with recipes that celebrate vegetables, follow the seasons, and make you excited to cook.
The end of summer in a bowl and it’s so amazing! Considering using smoked salmon when I’m pressed for time.
Hi Cindy!
Yay, Oh man I haven’t made this yet this summer. It is now on the menu for next week and I think smoked salmon would be genius!
Another great recipe! I made the gluten free version of this today, so I swapped out the farro for quinoa. So many great flavors and tastes in each spoonful! Love it!