25 Grain Salad Recipes

mr-Pesto Chickpea Salad with Summer Squash image

Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Karen Rankin

We value textural intrigue in our meals, and there’s no better place to experiment with a balance of crunchy, juicy, tender, and toothy elements like a grain salad. Since these grain salad recipes contain a variety of ingredients, they also satisfy an array of nutritional needs. Whether you’re looking to step up your side dish game or just make salad feel more fun/filling, these grain salad recipes are here to prove that healthy isn't synonymous with boring.

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Toasted Farro Salad with Watermelon and Peaches

Sara Tane

Toasted Farro Salad with Watermelon and Peaches Recipe

Toasting the farro before boiling it brings out an added layer of rich nuttiness to this hearty grain salad. Complemented by fresh herbs and sweet, juicy peaches and watermelon, this summertime side dish is the ultimate refreshing and nutritious bite you need. Serve it immediately, or let the flavors meld in the refrigerator for a couple hours (or overnight) and enjoy it cold.

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Superfood Grain Bowl

Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Superfood Grain Bowl Recipe

This grain bowl satisfies all the needs meal prep addresses: It tastes great, it’s actually good for you, and best of all, it’s easy to transport to a fridge at work, school, or wherever else you might end up. We’ve balanced superfoods like quinoa and avocado with staples you likely already have for a low-maintenance, high-reward meal.

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Job's Tears Salad with Bacon Dressing

Greg DuPree

Job's Tears Salad with Bacon Dressing Recipe

Job’s tears are a gluten-free whole grain, distinctly large, with a mild corn-rice flavor that’s versatile enough to use in countless dishes. Find it at health food stores and Asian markets. While the salad stands before serving, the warm vinaigrette will slightly tenderize the thinly shaved vegetables. If you use a mandoline to slice the beets, deal them into the salad like playing cards so they don’t clump together in stacks. Red beets are fine in this dish as well, though they will color the grains pink.

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Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cherries and Parsley

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Lydia Pursell

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cherries and Parsley Recipe

This grain salad tastes equally delicious when served warm or at room temperature. If serving at room temperature, let rice cool completely before adding the parsley and cherries.

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Rosy Beet-and-Quinoa Salad

Rosy Beet-and-Quinoa Salad Recipe

This earthy whole-grain salad holds up well, so it's a good make-ahead option; just bring it to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.

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Watermelon Grain Bowl

Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Watermelon Grain Bowl Recipe

Primary Ingredients - watermelon, wheat berries, cucumber, ricotta salata, and radish sprouts

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Salmon and Grains Salad with Pistachio Salsa Verde

Photo: Erin Kunkel; Styling: Christine Wolheim

Salmon and Grains Salad with Pistachio Salsa Verde Recipe

Kris Tominaga serves this dramatic salad at Cadet restaurant in Santa Monica. Wild rice and black quinoa (the quinoa fried until crunchy) form a backdrop for colorful greens and salmon. In winter, frozen sockeye salmon is an excellent choice.

Wine Pairing: A dry, crisp rosé made out of Pinot Noir, like Calera 2015 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir (Central Coast; available in March). The tart, silky red fruit is a great foil for salmon, and the wine's minerally herbal quality plays off the salsa verde. --Sara Schneider

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Lemon, Wheat Berry, and Chickpea Salad

Lemon, Wheat Berry, and Chickpea Salad Recipe

Look for wheat berries in the grain or bulk section of your supermarket to make this superfast vegetarian recipe.

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Farro Burrito Bowls

Caitline Bensel

Farro Burrito Bowls Recipe

Enjoy these make-ahead grain bowls for lunch or as a no-cook dinner on hot days.

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Smoked Barley, Beet, and Grapefruit Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay Clarke

Smoked Barley, Beet, and Grapefruit Salad Recipe

This CL-perfected stovetop technique makes smoking food easier than ever (though the salad is still tasty if you choose not to smoke the grains), and smoke is such a fun flavor to apply to unexpected ingredients like barley. A sweet vinaigrette, earthy beets, and the intense citrus twang of grapefruit balance the robust smoky hit of the grains for a memorable salad. To make sure you're getting the whole-grain version of barley, look for hulled, and skip past pearled.

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Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Farro

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen

Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Farro Recipe

Whole-grain farro bulks up this hearty Mediterranean salad. If you like the crunch of fresh red onion but not the full pungency, give the slices a 30-second dip in ice water to tame the flavor; drain and toss in the salad.

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Tuna Niçoise Whole-Grain Bowls

Jennifer Causey

Tuna Niçoise Whole-Grain Bowls Recipe

We combined the classic Niçoise combo of haricots verts, potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, tuna, and olives with whole-grain rye berries, which have a nutty, faintly peppery-tangy flavor. If you can’t find them, use farro or wheat berries.

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Chicken and Bulgur Salad With Peaches

Caitlin Bensel

Chicken and Bulgur Salad With Peaches Recipe

A quick-cooking whole grain, bulgur is perfect for time-crunched weeknight cooking. If you can’t find it on the grains aisle, you can substitute quinoa or whole-wheat couscous.

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Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with 6-Minute Egg

Greg DuPree

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with 6-Minute Egg Recipe

Embrace breakfast’s savory side with this whole-grain bowl. This simple one-dish meal is crowned with a soft-boiled egg; the nutrient-rich yolk creates its own creamy sauce. New research shows that eating eggs with raw vegetables like tomatoes increases your absorption of carotenoids—antioxidants that may protect against heart disease.

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Spring Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Bacon

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower

Spring Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Bacon Recipe

This rich and dynamic quinoa salad could easily be pulled together with whatever leftover grain you have on hand, such as farro or bulgur. A trio of fresh herbs deliver a major dose of freshness while balancing out more robust flavor components, such as whole-grain Dijon mustard and toasted almonds. To make this dish vegetarian, prepare the quinoa using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and eliminate the bacon.

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Spring Vegetable Grain Bowl

Spring Vegetable Grain Bowl Recipe

This dish is all about clean flavors and distinct textures. Farro provides satisfying chew, while the raw shaved veggies soften slightly in the vinaigrette to become perfectly crisp-tender. To blanch the peas, cook in boiling water for 1 minute or until crisp-tender, then dunk in an ice bath for 1 minute to stop the cooking. A mandoline or vegetable peeler makes quick work of thinly slicing vegetables.

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Farro Salad With Cherries, Corn, and Basil

Jen Causey; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling Kay Clarke

Farro Salad With Cherries, Corn, and Basil Recipe

Meal preppers, meet your new favorite salad. It’s bright and juicy thanks to the cherries, while the farro base keeps things feeling nice and hearty. The almonds bring in a crunch and nuttiness that helps bring everything together. Since it’s super versatile, you could make a batch on Sunday and serve it with arugula and baked chicken for a healthy lunch all week long.

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Greek Farro and Chickpea Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Paige Hicks

Greek Farro and Chickpea Salad Recipe

This greek-inspired salad works as a great make-ahead lunch that is not shy on flavor. The hearty farro grain gives the salad great texture, while the crumbled feta adds a delicious tangy flavor with each bite. For Sunday prep, omit the arugula and make enough farro mixture for the week. Stir in the greens just before you head out the door.

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Bánh Mì Rice Salad

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Bánh Mì Rice Salad Recipe

This whole-grain salad riffs off the ingredients and flavors of the addictive Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich. We like it as a composed salad, but you can also stir everything together.

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Lemon-Garlic Pork and Broccoli Bulgur Bowl

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Claire Spollen

Lemon-Garlic Pork and Broccoli Bulgur Bowl Recipe

Bulgur is a great go-to grain because of its quick cook time and neutral flavor.

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Millet and Tomatoes

Victor Protasio

Millet and Tomatoes Recipe

Give another grain a try. One of the most common staple grains in other parts of the world, millet (available from Bob's Red Mill) is a naturally gluten-free whole grain. Its nutty corn flavor pairs well with tart cherry tomatoes, thyme, and Parmesan in this easy side. Cooking the millet in a little butter until it's fragrant and golden is worth the extra couple minutes to bring out the toasty grain flavor. Serve with seared scallops or top with a poached egg and round out your plate with a baby kale salad.

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Broccoli Rabe and Barley Grain Bowl With Cilantro Pesto

Broccoli Rabe and Barley Bowl with Cilantro Pesto

Jennifer Causey

Broccoli Rabe and Barley Grain Bowl With Cilantro Pesto Recipe

Broccoli rabe (also called rapini) is a leafy cousin to broccoli known for its bracing bitterness. A quick blanch followed by pan-searing tames its bite and renders the greens meltingly tender. Want to make this dish fully vegan? Just leave off the parmesan cheese—or sub in a touch of nutritional yeast.

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Whole-Grain Veggie Burrito Bowl

Photo: Jennifer Causey Prop: Lindsey Lower

Whole-Grain Veggie Burrito Bowl Recipe

This is a Tex-Mex riff on the Korean rice dish bibimbap, in which various toppings are arranged over a bed of rice. Here, burrito bowl must-haves such as smoky black beans, fresh pico de gallo, and slaw top brown rice.

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Chickpea-Farro Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Chickpea-Farro Salad Recipe

Diets higher in whole grains have been linked to lower levels of inflammation and cognitive decline; whole grains are a staple in the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. This salad combines brain-boosting farro, chickpeas, and olive oil with the bright crunch of fresh celery. Simple, quick, and delicious.

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Pesto Chickpea Salad with Summer Squash

mr-Pesto Chickpea Salad with Squash, Red Onions and Parmesan

Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Karen Rankin

Pesto Chickpea Salad with Summer Squash Recipe

Stop searching, because we’ve got the best 15-minute summer side dish right here. The fresh aroma of basil, the nutty flavors from raw squash and pungent red onion all combine for a taste that perfectly reflects the season. The chickpeas offer a little more substance, making it hearty enough to leave you satisfied, which the light, lemony dressing and Parmesan make your taste buds happy. Bonus points if you can pick your own basil and squash from your garden.

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25 Super Satisfying Grain Salad Recipes

1 of 25

Toasted Farro Salad with Watermelon and Peaches

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Superfood Grain Bowl

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Job's Tears Salad with Bacon Dressing

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Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cherries and Parsley

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Rosy Beet-and-Quinoa Salad

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Watermelon Grain Bowl

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Salmon and Grains Salad with Pistachio Salsa Verde

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Lemon, Wheat Berry, and Chickpea Salad

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Farro Burrito Bowls

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Smoked Barley, Beet, and Grapefruit Salad

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Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Farro

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Tuna Niçoise Whole-Grain Bowls

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Chicken and Bulgur Salad With Peaches

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Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with 6-Minute Egg

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Spring Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Bacon

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Spring Vegetable Grain Bowl

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Farro Salad With Cherries, Corn, and Basil

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Greek Farro and Chickpea Salad

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Bánh Mì Rice Salad

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Lemon-Garlic Pork and Broccoli Bulgur Bowl

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Millet and Tomatoes

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Broccoli Rabe and Barley Grain Bowl With Cilantro Pesto

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Whole-Grain Veggie Burrito Bowl

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Chickpea-Farro Salad

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Pesto Chickpea Salad with Summer Squash

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