Spiraled Zucchini & Farro Salad

Looking for a salad that sparks your senses? Try this gem! You will experience hot and cold, crunchy and soft as well as sweet and salty! The spiraled zucchini salad gives this easy-to-prepare salad a new and interesting base. The salad is packed with protein and fiber from the tofu, farro, smoked almonds, charred broccoli, radishes and topped with tahini lemon vinaigrette. Delish!

Following a plant-based or vegan lifestyle is simple when you shop and cook at home. But how about when you are traveling? Through-out the year, I travel for work or fun. And many times, I tend to scout for plant-based meals at airport during layover. Most of the time, restaurants are geared to the meat eater crowd. As a result, I find myself surfing through the salad section which can be BORING! But I came across this spiraled zucchini salad which was worth mentioning.

However, during my layover in Denver, I sniffed out Root Down. During my 20 year tenure living in Denver, this restaurant was one of many on my foodie list that I frequented. This place catered to every palate which made it a great fit for me. And to no surprise, they had a wonderful menu at the airport. One of dish that imprinted on me was their Broccoli and Farro salad. As soon as I returned home, I recreated my version of this tasty and creative salad. It is This salad is hearty and very flavorful!

It is full of yin and yangs. There is a perfect combination of sweet and salt notes. The texture is soft and crunchy. Also, it stimulates the mouth the warm and cold components. And the best part is that it is a healthy combination of plant-based protein and fiber. Like all my recipes, I provide you the foundation. You have the freedom to swap out ingredients or dressing.

Recommended Utensils and Equipment

• Vegetable Spiralizer – The first spiral tool I purchased was simple and small. I figured if I used it more often, I would invest in one of the larger spiralizers that gives you more options. However, I still use the small and simple version to make all my spiraled vegetables.
• Cooking Pot – You will need a cooking pot to cook up the farro.
• Chopping Knives – To chop up vegetables and herbs, you will need a good set of knives.
• Immersion Blender – I use a handheld immersion blender to create a smooth dressing texture. If you don’t have one, this is one kitchen tool to invest in. You can use this to create many recipes such as soups, dressings, sauces and beverages.

Zucchini and Farro Salad Recipe Tips

• Corn choices: You can cut the corn off the corn cob if you want fresh corn. I also have used frozen corn. If you use frozen corn, I suggest adding the frozen corn to the salad and letting it slack out while you are making the dressing.
• Broccoli: You can use fresh raw broccoli or you can also use frozen broccoli florets. Again, if you use frozen broccoli florets, mix it in the salad and let it slack out while you are making the dressing.
• Smoked almonds: We buy our smoked almonds at Trade Joe’s. To crush the almonds, I place them in a mortar and pestle and crush them. You can use other methods too.
• Lemon juice: You can use fresh lemon juice by using a fruit press. Or you can use the prepared lemon juice in a bottle.
• Tahini paste: Tahini paste is sesame seed paste. Today, you can find this paste in mass grocery stores now such as Safeway. Or if you have an ethnic store nearby, you can find larger quantities which is great if you use a lot of it for other recipes like hummus.

Other Zucchini Recipes

Peanut Butter Zucchini Noodle

Benefits of Spiraled Zucchini and Farro Salad

• Quick and easy to make
• Packed with protein and fiber
• Fresh
• Use your preferred protein source
• Vegan and vegetarian