roasted red peppers Archives - Perry's Plate

Best Farro Salad Recipe with Feta

Natalie Perry — Sun, 16 Jun 2024 20:43:25 +0000

I’ve tested a ton of grain-forward salads over the years, and this Farro Salad keeps making the cut. Farro brings serious chew, nutty flavor, and stays satisfying even after a whole day chilled in the fridge.

It’s recipes like this that get me excited about meal prepping. It’s exactly the thing I love eating for lunch, but it would be time consuming to make this every single day. Thankfully, the kale holds up well dressed for a few days!

You can even swap out some of the ingredients for ones you prefer more! I gave you a bunch of ideas below along with all my tips to help you nail this recipe on the first try!

What is Farro Salad?

Let's start with farro -- a type of wheat that is cultivated in the Mediterranean. It has a nutty, chewy bit similar to barley and is chock full of nutrients! I love adding it to salads to make them heartier and more filling.

This particular salad has kale, feta, a few vegetables, and tossed in an easy cilantro-lime dressing.

You can find farro in most grocery stores and if your grocery store has a big bulk section, chances are it's there, too. And you can also find farro online.

Why You'll Love This Farro Salad Recipe

It’s a salad that’s hearty AND filling AND full of good-for-you ingredients.
It’s a fab option for meal prep! Keeps in the fridge for a few days without getting slimy.
Use it as a springboard to customize it how you like!

Best Farro Salad Recipe Ingredients

Farro - a Mediterranean strain of wheat found in most grocery stores. If you can't find farro, you can swap it out for barley, wild rice, or quinoa to get that chewy texture.
Kale - Curly kale or lacinato (dino) kale both work here. You can use pre-chopped kale if you don't mind bits of stems in your salad. If you want something lighter in flavor, use baby spinach or shredded Napa cabbage.
Pumpkin seeds or pepitas
Roasted red peppers - jarred is fine!
Cherry tomatoes
Feta cheese
Fresh cilantro
Limes
Rice vinegar
Salt, pepper, & a neutral tasting oil like avocado oil

How to make Farro Salad with Feta

Start cooking the farro. By the time you prep the rest of the ingredients it'll be finished! Farro cooks up similar to barley or rice. The ratio is 1 cup of farro to 3 cups of water. It simmers for about 15-20 minutes and then I strain off the remaining water.
Roast the corn under the broiler for about 8 minutes.
Strip the kale off the stems and slice it into thin strips. Rub it with a little lime juice and oil.
Buzz up the dressing ingredients and set aside.
When the farro is finished, add it to the bowl with the kale. Add the (cooled) roasted corn, chopped roasted red peppers and cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and feta.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
Serve!

Kale and Farro Salad Recipe Variations & Substitutions

Swap the grains: Use cooked barley, wild rice, or quinoa in place of the farro.

Use different veg: Add some cooked zucchini, cooked black beans, or some avocado in place of the ones in the recipe.

Don’t like kale? Use another type of hearty greens like Swiss chard, cabbage, or Napa cabbage. Using lettuce or spinach will make the salad wilt more quickly. You can definitely use them in this recipe, but know that it likely won’t be good as leftovers the next day.

Dress it differently: Use your favorite store-bought cilantro-based vinaigrette or another southwest/Mexican style dressing.

Best Ever Farro Salad recipe tips

Cook the farro well. Make sure it's cooked all the way through so you don't end up with tough bits in your salad.
Run some cold water over the cooked farro to help it cool faster before you add it to the salad. Make sure it's drained well, too.
Rub the kale with lime and oil. This mellows out a lot of the bitterness in the greens. Don't skip this step!
This salad can be prepped ahead of time. It's great at room temperature or even cold out of the fridge. And because the kale is a sturdy green it won't get slimy after you dress it.

What to Serve with Farro Salad

While this stands really well on its own as a vegetarian meal, feel free to serve it with some protein! Here are a few ideas:

How to Store Kale and Farro Salad Recipe

If you have leftovers or are making this salad a day ahead of time, store it in a lidded container, chilled for up to 5 days. After you pull it out of the fridge, you may need to add a little salt or lime juice to freshen it up.

Best Farro Salad Recipe FAQS

Is farro healthy?

Yes! It's a great source of grain-based protein, fiber, and some nutrients (magnesium, zinc, some B vitamins) If you're eating low carb be aware that, like all grains, it's fairly high in carbs.

Do you eat farro hot or cold?

Either! Farro is delicious eaten hot right after it's cooked or tossed onto a salad and eaten cold.

Can you freeze cooked farro?

Sure! Like rice, cooked farro can be frozen and reheated. To freeze, put it in an airtight container. A freezer-safe ziptop bag would be best so you can squeeze a lot of the air out of it.

More Vegetarian Salad Recipes on Perry's Plate

Spring Mix Salad Recipe with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Feta

Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad

Wild Rice Salad with Cucumber and Pesto

Syrian Salad with Za'atar Vinaigrette

Kale Quinoa Salad

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Kale and Farro Salad Recipe

Yield: Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

One of my favorite types of recipes to create are ones that are nutritious, also tasty. (Yes, it's possible.) It might seem like there's a lot going on here, but this farro salad can go from zero to in your face in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 cup uncooked farro grains
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 small bunch kale, any type
3 limes
2 Tablespoons avocado oil
1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
⅓ cup pepitas
⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ teaspoon sea salt

For the dressing:

½ bunch cilantro
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup avocado oil

Instructions

In a medium saucepan add the farro grains and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 18-20 minutes or until the grains are tender. Strain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to high broil. Spread the corn kernels out on a small baking sheet drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of oil. Broil for about 8 minutes or until the corn is golden brown in spots. If you have fresh corn you may not need to broil it this long.
Remove the kale from their stems by pinching the bottom of the stem and running your pinched fingers up the stalk. Discard the stems and slice the leaves into narrow strips. Put the sliced kale into a large salad bowl. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of oil and squeeze the juice from ½ a lime over the kale. Use your hands to massage the oil and lime juice into the kale for a minute or two. The kale should be more tender and darker green. Don't skip this step!
Prep the roasted red peppers and tomatoes and add them to the bowl with the kale. Along with the pepitas and feta cheese.
When the farro is finished, add the drained farro grains to the bowl as well.
Place all the dressing ingredients into a blender along with the juice from the rest of the limes (you should have about ¼ cup) and blend thoroughly. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of the salt over the salad and mix again. Taste, and add a little more salt if you think it needs it.
Serve!

Notes

This salad is great freshly made! You can also store it chilled and eat it right out of the fridge. For best flavor eat it within about 5 days.

Red Pepper Tomato Soup

Natalie Perry — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 12:17:00 +0000

Want to make a delicious tomato soup but don't have fresh tomatoes? I've got you. Using just a few pantry staples, you can have this deliciously simple red pepper tomato soup on the table in under 30 minutes without a tomato run!

We eat a lot of the red pepper tomato soup they sell at Costco. It's a quick dinner (usually accompanied by some sourdough grilled cheese *drool*) and the kids all love it.

I was inspired by this and wondered if I could hack this recipe and create a delicious twist on a tomato soup without using fresh tomatoes. Or even canned tomatoes!

This soup is EASY and requires very little chopping. Just an onion! You can have it done in a flash and I'll show you how to make it dairy free, too.

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup Ingredients

Butter
Onion - This is the only thing you'll need to chop!
Garlic
Jarred Roasted Red Peppers
Tomato Paste
Honey - Use another type of sweetener if you like.
Milk - See note below
Salt
Garnishes - Optional, but you can add some cheese (feta, goat cheese, and Parmesan are especially good), pesto, or a spicy condiment to add some heat.

How to make this tomato soup dairy free

To make this soup dairy free use coconut oil or avocado oil in place of the butter and non-dairy milk. If you use non-dairy milk that isn't sweetened you may need to add a little extra sweetener to balance the acidity in the soup.

How to Make Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Saute the chopped onion in the butter for several minutes until it turns golden. Don't skip on this step since it creates extra sweetness the soup needs! Throw the garlic in there, too, and stir in the tomato paste.
Add the drained red peppers, milk, honey, and salt. Cook until the soup is steamy and hot but not boiling.
Blend the soup up using an immersion blender or in a countertop blender.
Taste and adjust the salt and sweetener as needed.
Serve!

Serving Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

I added some goat cheese and chili crunch to my soup, but you can add any cheese, pesto, or spicy condiment you like! Or get creative with your own garnishes.

What goes well with tomato soup?

This soup stands alone well as a light meal, but if you need to round it out with something here are a few ideas. We love it with some sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches, but here are a few lighter ideas for you:

Fresh, green salad: My Syrian Salad, Avocado Salad with Lettuce, or my Spring Mix Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette are all great pairings.

Bulk it up: Add in some leftover grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp. Or some leftover cooked grains, like rice, quinoa, or farro.

How to Store Red Pepper Tomato Soup

Chilled: Store in an airtight container or covered saucepan in the fridge for up to a week.

Frozen: Transfer cooled soup to a freezer-safe container and freeze for several months.

I like these freezer safe deli containers on Amazon. They're great for freezing soups, broths, and general leftover storage in the fridge since they stack well.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup Recipe FAQs

How do you get the bitter taste out of red pepper soup?

Sweetness does the trick. Browning the onion in the beginning adds natural sweetness to the soup as well as the honey. I highly recommend using at least a little sweetener -- any type you like.

How do you tone down red peppers in soup?

Adding the tomato paste and balancing out the red pepper with some sweetness helps to tone down its flavors.

More Recipes like this Red Pepper Tomato Soup on Perry's Plate

If you like this soup, try one of these other blended tomato soup variations!

Roasted Tomato Soup - One of my favorites! Roasted a pan of tomatoes, onions, and garlic for a SUPER delicious tomato soup.

Keto Tomato Soup - This one is lighter on the carbs and has a spicy kick from jalapeño.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped roughly
6 whole garlic cloves
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 16-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained (see note)
2 cups milk
2 Tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions turn light golden brown. Add the whole garlic cloves and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute or so. Add the drained red peppers, milk, honey, and salt. Warm the soup until it's hot and steamy.
Blend with an immersion blender or with a countertop blender until smooth.
Taste, and add a little extra honey or salt if you think it needs it.
Ladle into bowls and serve.

Notes

The roasted red peppers I used have an undrained weight of 16 ounces. The drained weight is a little less.
Freel free to use any kind of milk here. If you use unsweetened almond milk, you may need to add a little extra honey to balance the sweetness since dairy milk is sweeter.
I like to top my with feta and chili crunch! Any kind of strong, salty cheese would be good. Pesto would also be a great mix-in.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 282Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 40mgSodium 953mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 2gSugar 22gProtein 6g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

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Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Natalie Perry — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 10:48:00 +0000

In my 16 years as a recipe creator one of the best tips I can give is this: NEVER underestimate the power of a good condiment. They can completely transform a dish! Having a secret weapon on hand to add to grain bowls, sandwiches, salads, & wraps makes eating healthier so easy! This delicious red pepper sauce is one of my favorites and easy to whip up. (You'll love it even if you aren't a vegan!)

It's no secret that I'm not a vegan. It took me a while to explore cashew-based sauces because I viewed cashew-based dairy substitutes as inferior and unnecessary for me. Well. I learned my lesson. Turns out they can be delicious even if you aren't looking for a dairy substitute!

Another thing that makes this recipe amazing, is that it uses a bottle of fire roasted peppers, so you can have your own sauce whipped up minutes after you soak your cashews for a bit!

Vegan Red Pepper Sauce Ingredients

You'll only need a few things! I liked my sauce with a little kick, but you can omit that if you'd rather have a mild version.

Roasted red peppers
Soaked cashews (see section below for a soaking shortcut)
Lemon juice
Garlic
Chili paste, chili flakes, or cayenne (optional)
Nutritional yeast
Salt & Pepper

How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (with cashews)

Soak cashews overnight covered in cool water or pour boiling water over them and let them soak for 20-30 minutes.
Drain soaking water off of cashews and put soaked cashews in the pitcher of your blender. Add ½ cup of fresh water and the rest of the ingredients to the pitcher.
Blend thoroughly, for a couple of minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth.
Transfer to a lidded container and store, chilled, for up to a week.

Making Red Bell Pepper Sauce in a food processor

Blend it for a few minutes to make sure it's as smooth as you can get it.

If you have a high powered blender like a Blendtec, Vita-Mix, or a Ninja, I recommend using that.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe Variations

Peppers - If you are roasting your peppers, you could using yellow or green. I love the red color and the convience of jarred roasted red peppers.
Nutritional yeast - if you aren’t vegan, you could use Parmesan cheese for a similar flavor.
Spice - Just omit the chili seasoning for a mild sauce.

More Ways to Use

I intentionally didn't create a recipe around this red pepper sauce recipe because you can use it for so many things!

Here are a few ideas for you:

Use it as a dairy-free pasta sauce - If you're avoiding dairy or are a vegan, make some vegan roasted red pepper pasta! Toss it with some freshly cooked pasta and add some fresh basil and your favorite protein source. If you're not a vegan, some cooked Italian sausage would be delicious in this. Or more veggies. You can even use it in place of marinara when making lasagna.
Use it as a dip - Add a bowl of this to a vegetable tray for dipping! I especially love dipping sliced cucumbers and gluten-free crackers.
Use it as a grain bowl sauce - One of my favorite things to do for lunch is make a bowl of leftover tidbits from the fridge. I use cooked grains (rice or quinoa) or salad greens as a base and add leftover protein from a previous dinner, a fried eggs, or some tuna salad, and chopped veggies and some fun things to sprinkle (goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, cheese-based crackers, plaintain chips, etc). Adding a dollop of this sauce makes it even more tasty! In the photo below I added it to a bowl with quinoa, garlic-roasted chickpeas, and roasted broccoli/cauliflower with some chili crunch for extra heat.
Add it to a skillet meal. This sauce would be REALLY good with my Chicken Sausage Dinner!

More Easy Condiment Recipes

I love having a prepped condiment on hand for easy meals, and I usually include one or two when I do meal prep. Here are a few more of my favorites...

Chipotle Vegan Queso also has a cashew base and is easy to toss together in a blender! Love this for tex-mex bowls and paleo nachos especially!

Pickled Red Onions have become a staple for us since my kids decided they loved them. I love this version especially with garlic & jalapenos for an extra kick.

Along those same lines is Homemade Sauerkraut! It's easier than you think and a great source of probiotics.

Paleo Ranch Dressing is always good to have on hand! I extra love this Roasted Jalapeno Ranch.

Homemade Basil Pesto is delicious and nice to have on hand as a flavor booster, too! I have Cilantro Pesto and Dill Pesto recipes, too.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (Vegan) FAQs

Can I use fresh red bell peppers?

Sure! I like to use jarred roasted red peppers for convenience, but if you'd rather roast your own, that's fine, too. You'll need about 1 ½ medium sized bell peppers for this recipe
Put them on a pan, whole, under the broiler for a few minutes and turn them periodically. Or char them over a gas burner or BBQ grill directly on the grates.
Get some of that skin off, cut the stems and seeds out, and then you're in business. I included instructions in the recipe card as well.

Where can I find nutritional yeast?

Most grocery stores carry it these days. It's usually in the baking section. I like to buy nutritional yeast on Amazon, too.

Do I have to soak the cashews?

If you want your sauce to be smooth, then yes.
Ideally, you'd soak them in cool water for 8 hours or overnight.
But. I know it's a big ask to prep ahead sometimes. I'm a busy mom. I get it.
SOAKING SHORTCUT: Pour boiling water over the cashews and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. Try to let them soak for 30 minutes if you can, though. The longer they soak, the smoother your sauce will be.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Vegan Red Pepper Sauce (with Cashews)

Yield: Makes 2 ¼ cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Soaking Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This smooth, delicious vegan roasted red pepper sauce is great as a pasta sauce, a veggie dip, or added to your favorite grain bowl! Make it as spicy as you (or not) like in minutes with only a handful of ingredients and your blender!

Ingredients

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 ½ cups chopped roasted red bell peppers
1 clove garlic, peeled
Juice from 1 small lemon
1-2 teaspoons Calabrian chili paste or a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

Instructions

Soak cashews overnight covered in cool water or pour boiling water over them and let them soak for 20-30 minutes.
Drain soaking water off of cashews and put soaked cashews in the pitcher of your blender. Add ½ cup of fresh water and the rest of the ingredients to the pitcher.
Blend thoroughly, for a couple of minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth.
Transfer to a lidded container and store, chilled, for up to a week.

Notes

The Calabrian chili paste is optional. I like to use it when adding a little heat to Italian-inspired recipes. You don't have to put anything spicy in this sauce at all if you don't want to.
The nutritional yeast is also optional, but I love the "cheezy" umami flavor it adds.
If you'd rather roast your own red bell peppers, put two peppers under a broiler for several minutes, turning occaisionally until most of the peppers have black blisters on them. You can also put them directly on the grate above a gas stove and use a pair of tongs to turn them. Remove most of the peels and blackened parts, as well as the stem and seeds. You'll need about 1 ½ peppers for this recipe, but it would probably be fine if you threw both in there to avoid food waste.

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Grilled Corn Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, and Feta

Natalie Perry — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:41:00 +0000

I'm a sucker for fresh corn in the summer.

My all-time favorite way of making fresh corn is turning it into elote or Mexican corn on the cob -- rolled in spiced mayo and cotija cheese.

But when I don't feel like getting my face covered in cheese and sauce, this flavorful, fresh bowl of grilled corn salad happiness hits the spot.

It could stand alone as a salad. (But would also be fantastic over grilled chicken or fish.) I used what I had on hand (one of those clean-out-the-produce-drawer situations), but you could substitute just about anything.

In fact, I almost named this one, "Grilled Corn and Whatever Salad," but that sounded a little apathetic. I really do love this combination.

Grilled Corn Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, and Feta

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This grilled corn salad is so versatile -- you can add pretty much any summer vegetable. It's fantastic with a side of grilled chicken, too!

Ingredients

4 ears of corn, grilled
½ of an English cucumber, diced
½ of an avocado, diced
3 jarred roasted red peppers, diced (about ⅓ cup)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, sliced thinly
½ cup feta cheese crumbles
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
couple pinches of cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Remove kernels from corn cobs and place in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. That's it.

Notes

Nat's Note: You can certainly boil the cobs or warm up some frozen corn in a skillet with a bit of oil.

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