Summer Spelt Salad with Basil Sauce: The Perfect Recipe for a Quick and Tasty Lunch
Dear friends, summer has finally arrived, bringing with it the desire for fresh, light dishes that don’t make us give up flavor and satisfaction.
We all know how difficult it is to find ideas that are both practical for out-of-home lunches and delightful for dinners with friends, without weighing us down. And that’s why today I want to share with you a real gem from my kitchen: the Summer Spelt Salad with Basil Sauce.
Forget the usual sad salads! This recipe is a true explosion of colors, flavors, and Mediterranean aromas, capable of pleasing everyone.
Spelt, an ancient and versatile grain, becomes the perfect base for a nutritious and balanced dish that will give you the right energy without weighing you down. I chose to pair it with a triumph of fresh and crunchy vegetables, cut raw to keep all their properties and vibrancy intact.
But the real secret, the magical touch that turns this simple salad into an unforgettable culinary experience, is the homemade basil sauce. Preparing it is a breeze, I assure you, and its enveloping creaminess, combined with the intoxicating scent of freshly picked basil, will harmoniously bind every ingredient, turning each forkful into a small masterpiece of taste.
Whether you’re looking for a practical idea for your office lunch, a tasty dish to take with you for a picnic at the beach or in the mountains, or simply a light and satisfying solution for a dinner with friends, this spelt salad is the answer you’ve been looking for. It is prepared in just a few minutes and is customizable in a thousand ways.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Steam Cooking, Stovetop, Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 343.28 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 31.24 (g) of which sugars 5.03 (g)
- Proteins 12.52 (g)
- Fat 20.13 (g) of which saturated 6.16 (g)of which unsaturated 2.90 (g)
- Fibers 3.67 (g)
- Sodium 381.46 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for SPELT SALAD
- 9 oz pearled spelt
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes (cherry, date or piccadilly)
- 1.8 oz sweet corn (drained weight)
- 3.5 oz lettuce (Belgian or another crisp lettuce of your choice)
- 4.4 oz mozzarella (cubed)
- Some black olives (pitted)
- to taste salt
- 1/2 bunch basil (about 30-40 large leaves)
- 3.4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp water (cold)
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- Food scale
- Bowl
SPELT SALAD Step by Step Recipe
I chose to use pearled spelt, to speed up preparation you can use pre-cooked spelt found at the supermarket in Tetrapack or cans. Alternatively, you can opt for pressure cooker or steamer cooking (instructions at the end of the recipe).
First, rinse the pearled spelt under cold running water in a colander. This will help remove excess starch.
Place the spelt in a pot with plenty of lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for the time indicated on the package (usually 10 to 20 minutes for pearled spelt).
Once cooked, drain it well and immediately pass it under a stream of cold running water. This step is crucial to stop the cooking process and make the spelt nice and separate, not sticky. Set it aside and let it cool completely.While the spelt cools, focus on the vegetables. Thoroughly rinse the Belgian lettuce, dry it carefully (you can use a salad spinner) and cut it into thin slices.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into wedges or halves, depending on size.
Drain the corn from its preserving liquid and rinse it quickly under water.
Cut the mozzarella into regular cubes. If using fresh mozzarella, make sure to drain it well from excess whey.This is the secret of our salad! Take the glass of the immersion blender (or a small mixer).
Add the fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, cold water, grated lemon zest (only the yellow part, to avoid bitterness), and a pinch of salt.
Blend for a few moments until you get a smooth, fluid, and bright green sauce. Taste and, if necessary, adjust the salt.Now it’s time to combine all the flavors! In a large bowl, combine the now cold spelt, the prepared vegetables (Belgian lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and corn), the mozzarella cubes, and the pitted olives.
Pour the fragrant basil sauce over everything and, using two spoons or a spatula, gently mix the ingredients, ensuring that the sauce coats every grain of spelt and every piece of vegetable. Your Summer Spelt Salad with Basil Sauce is ready to be enjoyed!
Notes on Ingredients and Possible Substitutions
For optimal results, choose seasonal and high-quality ingredients.
SPELT: I used quick-cooking pearled spelt, but you can also use hulled spelt (which requires more soaking and cooking) or pearl barley as a valid alternative.
CHERRY TOMATOES: Any variety is fine, from cherry to date, as long as they are ripe and firm.
BELGIAN LETTUCE: If you don’t like it, you can replace it with thinly sliced crisp celery, cucumbers, or young raw zucchini cut into julienne.
CORN: A classic that adds sweetness, but you can omit it or replace it with blanched fresh peas or boiled green beans cut into pieces.
MOZZARELLA: Fior di latte is ideal, but buffalo mozzarella balls or Greek feta cubes are also great.
BLACK OLIVES: Pitted taggiasca olives are perfect, but green olives or a mix are also good.
BASIL: It’s essential that it be fresh and fragrant. If you don’t have enough basil, you can supplement it with a few fresh mint leaves for an even more refreshing touch.
STORAGE
This spelt salad is perfect for being prepared in advance! You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I recommend dressing it just before serving, or at most an hour before, to maintain the crunchiness of the vegetables and the freshness of the sauce. If you prepare it in advance, you can store the basil sauce separately in a jar and add it only when serving.
Alternative and Creative Variants
This salad is a blank canvas ready for your ideas! Here are some suggestions to personalize it:
ADDING PROTEINS: Add drained canned tuna or grilled chicken cubes, hard-boiled egg wedges, or legumes like chickpeas or lentils (quantities to taste, about 3-4 oz per serving).
MEDITERRANEAN: Try adding desalted capers, sun-dried tomatoes in oil cut into strips, or Grana Padano/Parmigiano Reggiano flakes.
VEGAN STYLE: Omit the mozzarella and replace it with marinated and then sautéed natural tofu cubes, or with 1.8 oz more chickpeas for a complete and plant-based dish.
EXOTIC: For a bolder idea, add fresh mango cubes, boiled shrimp, and a pinch of chili pepper to the basil sauce.
WITH GRILLED VEGETABLES: Instead of raw vegetables, you can use grilled zucchini, eggplants, or bell peppers cut into cubes, for a more intense and smoky flavor.
Use and Pairings
The Summer Spelt Salad is a complete and versatile main dish. It is perfect as:
Quick Lunch: Ideal to take to the office, university, or for a smart working lunch break.
Light Dinner: A great solution for a fresh and satisfying dinner, especially after a hot day.
Picnic or Trip Dish: Easy to carry, keeps well even outside the house, and is delicious at room temperature.
Rich Side Dish: Can accompany grilled fish, white meats, or fresh cheeses.
Base for Bowl: Serve it in a bowl adding other ingredients to taste like avocado slices, oil seeds (sunflower, pumpkin), or fresh sprouts for a nutrient boost.
The Origins of Spelt and Its History in Cooking
Spelt is not just any grain, but a true piece of our dietary history! Considered the oldest grain cultivated by man, its origins go back thousands of years, in the Near East. Brought to Italy by the Romans, it became the basis of their diet, so much so that it was used to prepare “puls,” a sort of polenta ancestor of our pasta. It was so precious that it was also used as currency!
Over time, it was somewhat forgotten in favor of more productive grains, but in recent decades it has regained its glory, especially thanks to the growing attention towards a healthy and natural diet. Today, spelt, with its rustic flavor and chewy texture, is highly appreciated in the kitchen for soups, salads, risottos, and much more. Pearled spelt, in particular, is the most convenient variety for everyday use because it does not require soaking and cooks relatively quickly, while maintaining many of its nutritional properties intact. A true treasure of the Mediterranean diet!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I prepare the spelt salad the day before?
Absolutely yes! In fact, preparing it in advance can even enhance the flavor, allowing the ingredients to blend better. However, I recommend storing the basil sauce separately in the refrigerator and adding it to the salad only 30-60 minutes before serving. This way, the vegetables will maintain their crunchiness and the sauce will be at its most fragrant.
What is the best way to make spelt not sticky?
The secret to perfect non-sticky spelt is twofold: first, rinse it well under cold water before cooking to remove excess starch. Second, and this is crucial, once cooked, immediately drain it and pass it under a stream of cold running water. This will stop the cooking and make the grains nice and separate.
Can I freeze the spelt salad or basil sauce?
A spelt salad with fresh vegetables and mozzarella is not ideal for freezing because raw ingredients would tend to lose texture and flavor once thawed. The basil sauce, however, can be frozen! You can portion it into small containers or ice cube molds and use it as needed to dress pasta, crostini, or other salads.
