Tuscan Farro and Bean Salad
Serves 6 | Prep Time 15 min | Cook Time 0 min
Here’s a great example of what I call culinary architecture, which entails building on a great foundation. In this case, I’m playing off what Middle Easterners call tabouli, a wonderful salad with a fantastic fresh taste that’s incredibly easy to make (and impossible to mess up). The base of any tabouli is a grain, lemon juice, parsley, and mint. Then we add the ornamentation, which emphasizes form and function. The beans create a complete protein, the pepper offers up a pleasing crunch and a whole bunch of antioxidants, while olives add a little healthy salt. Like any powerful piece of architecture, it’s the combination of simplicity and tasteful elegance that makes this salad so enjoyable and memorable.
Instructions
Put the beans, farro, bell pepper, olives, parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Chill for 1 hour. Before serving, taste; you may need to add another pinch of salt or a dash of lemon juice. Serve with the feta cheese sprinkled over the top.
You can certainly substitute canned beans in this recipe. Use about half of a 15-ounce can and, as usual, drain and rinse, then refresh the beans with a spritz of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.
COOK’S NOTE: This is a particularly nice vegetarian dish that provides complete protein while also being high in fiber and low in fat. Because of the low fat and high fiber content, it would appeal to breast and prostate cancer patients.
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
PER SERVING: Calories: 255; Total Fat: 11.1 g (1.6 g saturated, 7.9 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 32 g; Protein: 8 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sodium: 580 mg
Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Copyright © 2009 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.
Ingredients
1 cup cooked cannellini beans
2 cups Simple Tuscan Farro
1⁄4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
3 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and sliced thin
1 cup finely chopped and loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup finely chopped and loosely packed fresh mint
Zest of 1 lemon
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
2 ounces organic feta cheese, crumbled (optional)