After a short but refreshing vacation break, I’m back in the kitchen with a new fresh dish and wholesome vegan style, rich in plant-based proteins and minerals! During this period, the exhausting heat and the reluctance to turn on the oven or stove call for lighter and simpler meals, so it’s better to bring one-dish meals like this salad to the table! The seasoning with herb tofu is the perfect base for any type of cereal, in my case, I chose a mix of farro and quinoa, but you can opt for others of your choice or whatever you have in the pantry, so feel free to experiment! Moreover, it’s very quick to prepare since the ingredients are all added raw, so there’s no fussing in the kitchen and within half an hour, apart from a short rest in the fridge, you’ll have lunch or dinner sorted! Prepared in advance, it will become more flavorful and will be perfect to take with you to the beach or as a lunchbox in the office if you’re not yet on vacation! We loved it very much, try it too!
Also try these other variants, always based on cereals, fresh and wholesome, all to be enjoyed:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients:
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1 1/4 cups farro
- 1/3 cup quinoa
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 6 oz tofu (herbed tofu)
- 1 cup canned cannellini beans
- 1 oz salted capers
- 1/2 Tropea red onion
- A few stalks celery (heart)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (Sicilian)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools:
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Salad bowl
- 2 Spoons
- 1 Pot
Steps:
Rinse the cannellini beans thoroughly under running water to remove excess salt using a strainer.
Also rinse the farro and quinoa separately and cook the former in unsalted boiling water for 10′, then add the quinoa and continue cooking for another 20′. Salt and turn off.
Drain and transfer the farro and quinoa to a large salad bowl to let them cool.
Separately, wash and clean the vegetables. Cut the celery heart into chunks, the half red onion into thin slices, and the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise.
Transfer the vegetables thus cut into a large bowl.
Cut the tofu into cubes with a knife.
Add it to the vegetables along with the well-drained cannellini beans.
Add the desalted capers previously rinsed under running water and well-squeezed.
Dress with a generous drizzle of raw oil, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, two pinches of salt, a sprinkle of pepper to taste, and plenty of oregano. Mix well using two salad spoons.
Add this dressing to the farro and quinoa mix and mix.
Put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour to have it well chilled in summer, while in spring this step will not be necessary.
And voila…your vegan farro and quinoa salad with tofu and cannellini beans is ready to enjoy!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 The vegan farro and quinoa salad with tofu and cannellini beans can be conveniently prepared the day before and stored in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to 2-3 days. Just before serving, add a generous drizzle of oil to revive it.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣 If you can’t find herbed tofu, buy plain tofu and marinate it for half an hour with a good drizzle of oil, the juice of half a lemon, and a very fine chop of aromatic herbs of your choice. Then proceed with the recipe.
🟣 If you like, you can add just before serving a handful of fresh arugula and some black and green olives instead of capers. It will give an extra touch of flavor and freshness.
🟣 For a vegetarian version, replace the tofu with cubes of Greek feta or mozzarella balls.
