Farro Salad with Tuna: Your Easy and Tasty Summer Lunch
Dear lovers of good food, summer calls for dishes that are synonymous with lightness, color, and, most importantly, practicality.
The days get longer, the sun invites us to be outdoors, and the last thing we want is to spend hours in front of the stove!
If you’re looking for an idea for a quick, nutritious lunch that refreshes you even on the hottest days, you’re in the right place. Today I’ll take you into my kitchen to prepare together a great classic of the summer table, revisited with a touch of color and lots of flavor, in my opinion, the best among the farro salads: the one with Tuna and vegetables.
This recipe is a real delight for the palate and the eyes. Farro, with its unique texture and delicate flavor, perfectly matches the savory taste of tuna, an ingredient that is never missing from our pantries.
To complete the picture, a symphony of fresh and crunchy vegetables that add vitamins, fiber, and a liveliness that makes every bite a pleasure. Imagine enjoying it during a lunch break at the office, maybe under the beach umbrella, or as the star of a cheerful summer buffet among friends. It’s versatile, easy to transport, and, I assure you, it will win everyone over with its freshness.
Forget long preparations, here the goal is to maximize taste with minimal effort.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Steaming, Stovetop, Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 327.24 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 25.04 (g) of which sugars 2.13 (g)
- Proteins 22.69 (g)
- Fat 15.76 (g) of which saturated 5.70 (g)of which unsaturated 4.97 (g)
- Fibers 3.08 (g)
- Sodium 441.53 (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
Farro Salad Ingredients
I used raw farro, but to speed up the recipe, you can use pre-cooked farro available at the supermarket in cans or tetrapak.
- 1 cup pearled farro
- 5.6 oz tuna in oil (drained weight)
- 2 carrots
- 4.4 oz mozzarella
- 1 cup lamb's lettuce (or baby lettuce)
- 1/2 Tropea red onion
- 2 tbsp sweet corn (pre-cooked)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Bowl
- Mandoline
Farro Salad Step by Step Recipe
To speed up the recipe, you can use pre-cooked farro.
To begin, rinse the pearled farro thoroughly under running water and drain it well. This step helps remove excess starch and achieve well-separated farro grains.
For cooking, you have several options depending on the time available:
1) In a pot (classic boiling): Place the farro in a saucepan, cover it with plenty of cold water (about twice the volume of the farro), and bring to a boil. From the boiling point, calculate about 25-30 minutes, or follow the package instructions.
2) In a pressure cooker (quick cooking): Cover the farro with water (about 1:1.5 farro/water), close the cooker, and from the whistle, count about 15 minutes.
3) In a steamer: Follow your steamer’s instructions; generally, it requires about 40 minutes at 248°F (120°C).
Once cooked, drain the farro and immediately rinse it under cold running water to stop the cooking and keep it nicely separated. Transfer it to a large bowl and let it cool completely.While the farro cools, focus on the vegetables. Wash and peel the carrots, then cut them first into julienne strips and then into small cubes.
Drain the corn from its preservation liquid and rinse it quickly under running water.
Clean the lamb’s lettuce, wash it gently, and dry it carefully, perhaps with a salad spinner or by patting it with kitchen paper.
Drain the mozzarella well from excess whey and cut it into cubes.
Clean the Tropea onion and, with the help of a mandoline (if you have one) or a sharp knife, make very thin slices. To temper the strong flavor of the onion, you can soak it in cold water for about ten minutes before using it.
Thoroughly drain the tuna, removing all the oil or preservation water.Now it’s time to assemble your salad! In the bowl with the cooled farro, add the carrot cubes, corn, lamb’s lettuce, mozzarella cubes, and thin slices of Tropea onion.
Add the well-drained tuna, gently flaking it with a fork.
Generously dress with good quality extra virgin olive oil and season with salt.
Gently mix all the ingredients until they are well combined and distributed.
The Farro Salad with Tuna is ready to be enjoyed! You can serve it immediately or let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour for the flavors to meld even better.
Notes on Ingredients and Possible Substitutions
For an exceptional result, the freshness of the ingredients is crucial.
FARRO: Pearled farro is the most convenient and quick choice. Alternatively, you can use hulled farro (requires soaking and longer cooking times) or pearled barley for a slightly different taste.
CARROTS: They add crunchiness and sweetness. You can supplement or substitute with diced cucumbers, thinly sliced celery, or young zucchini cut into julienne strips.
MOZZARELLA: Fior di latte or bocconcini are perfect. If you want a stronger flavor, try with diced Greek feta or fresh goat cheese.
LAMB’S LETTUCE: You can also use arugula (for a slightly bitter and spicy touch), fresh baby spinach, or another leafy green salad you love.
TROPEA ONION: For a milder flavor, you can use fresh onion (spring onion) or omit it altogether if you don’t like it. Soaking in cold water helps make it more digestible.
CORN: If you prefer a more neutral taste, you can use peas (even frozen, blanched) or cooked green beans cut into pieces.
TUNA: In oil (well-drained) is more flavorful, natural is lighter. You can substitute it with mackerel or salmon in oil/natural to vary.
STORAGE
STORAGE
This salad is ideal for meal prep! You can prepare it in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I recommend dressing it well before storing, so the flavors have time to meld. If you notice that lamb’s lettuce tends to spoil, you can add it just before serving.
Creative Alternatives and Variations
Let your imagination run wild and customize your farro salad!
Mediterranean Version: Add pitted Taggiasca olives (50g), desalted capers (1 tbsp), and sun-dried tomatoes in oil cut into strips (3-4).
With Legumes: Enrich the dish with 100g of boiled chickpeas or cannellini beans for an extra intake of fiber and plant proteins.
Crispy Touch: Add nuts of your choice like sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or toasted sunflower seeds (1 tbsp).
With Grilled Vegetables: If you have time, you can add grilled zucchini and/or eggplants cut into cubes instead of some of the raw vegetables for a more intense flavor.
Special Dressing: For an extra twist, you can prepare an emulsion with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, a teaspoon of mild mustard, and fresh oregano, instead of simple oil and salt.
Usage and Pairings
Farro Salad with Tuna is an extremely versatile dish:
Lunch On the Go: Its “salad” format makes it perfect to put in a tupperware and take to work, university, or on a trip.
Quick and Light Dinner: If you don’t feel like cooking, it’s the ideal solution for a healthy and satisfying dinner.
Summer Buffets and Picnics: It’s a great proposal for a buffet because it holds up well even at room temperature and is liked by everyone.
Rich Side Dish: It can accompany fish or white meat main courses, adding a touch of freshness.
Complete Main Dish: Thanks to the presence of complex carbohydrates (farro), proteins (tuna and mozzarella), and vegetables, it is already a balanced meal.
Canned Tuna: A Kitchen Ally and Its History
Tuna, the undisputed king of our summer tables and “dinner saver” par excellence, has a fascinating history rooted in antiquity. Already the Phoenicians and Romans appreciated this prized fish, caught in the Mediterranean. Its preservation, initially under salt, found its most widespread form with the advent of canning in the 19th century. This method revolutionized the way we consume tuna, making it accessible, practical, and always available, even far from the coasts.
Today, canned tuna is a staple of Italian and international cuisine. It is an excellent source of noble proteins, Omega-3 (beneficial for heart and brain), B vitamins, and minerals such as selenium. Its versatility makes it suitable for countless preparations: from salads like this one to first courses, to meatballs and fillings. When you choose it, prefer sustainably caught tuna (look for certifications) and of good quality, whether it is natural or in extra virgin olive oil. A true treasure of the pantry, always ready to transform a simple meal into a burst of flavor!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use natural tuna instead of tuna in oil?
Of course! Natural tuna is a great alternative if you prefer a lighter dish. Just remember to drain it very well from its preservation liquid. If you use it, you might want to add a little more extra virgin olive oil to compensate for the lower fat content and maintain the right creaminess in the salad.
What is the difference between pearled farro and hulled farro?
The main difference lies in the processing and cooking times. Pearled farro has been stripped of the outer husk and part of the bran, making it quicker to cook (no soaking required and cooks in 15-20 minutes), but it loses some of the fiber. Hulled farro, on the other hand, retains all its parts and is therefore richer in fiber and nutrients, but requires soaking for several hours and longer cooking times (about 40-60 minutes). For a quick salad, pearled is ideal!
Can I add other ingredients to make it richer?
Absolutely yes! This is a base recipe, but you can customize it as you like. Great pairings are desalted capers, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes in oil cut into strips, or for an extra fresh touch, some chopped fresh mint leaves. You can also add other types of vegetables to taste, such as raw julienned zucchini or diced bell peppers.
