Here’s a great example of what I call culinary architecture, which entails building on a great foundation. In this case, I’m playing off what Middle Easterners call tabouli, a wonderful salad with a fantastic fresh taste that’s incredibly easy to make (and impossible to mess up). The base of any tabouli is a grain, lemon juice, parsley, and mint. That’s our building block. Then we add the ornamentation, which always emphasizes both form and function. The beans create a complete protein, the pleasing crunch (and a whole bunch of antioxidants) comes from pepper, while olives add a little healthy salt. Like any powerful piece of architecture, it’s the combination of simplicity and tasteful elegance that makes this salad so enjoyable and memorable.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1 cup cooked cannellini beans (see page 110)

　　2 cups Simple Tuscan Farro (page 148)

　　1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper

　　3 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and sliced thin

　　1 cup finely chopped and loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　1 cup finely chopped and loosely packed fresh mint

　　Zest of 1 lemon

　　1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/2 teaspoon sea salt

　　2 ounces organic feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

　　

Step 1

Put the beans, farro, bell pepper, olives, parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Chill for 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

Before serving, do a FASS check. You may need to add another pinch of salt or a dash of lemon juice.

　　

Step 3

Serve with the feta cheese sprinkled over the top.

　　

variation

Step 4

Play with the taste of this salad. If you’re a tomato fan, add 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes. If you’d like some more crunch, add 1/4 cup of diced celery. Get creative and have fun!

　　

Step 5

If you have trouble finding farro or don’t have any on hand, brown rice or a wild rice blend makes a wonderful substitute.

　　

Step 6

You can certainly substitute canned beans in this recipe. Use about half of a 15-ounce can and, as usual, drain and rinse, then refresh the beans with a spritz of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.

　　

rebecca’s notes

Step 7

This is a particularly nice vegetarian dish that provides complete protein while also being high in fiber and low in fat. Because of the low fat and high fiber content, it would appeal to breast and prostate cancer patients.

　　

storage

Step 8

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

　　

nutrition information

Step 9

(per serving)

　　

Step 10

Calories: 255

　　

Step 11

Total Fat: 11.1g (1.6g saturated, 7.9g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 12

Carbohydrates: 32g

　　

Step 13

Protein: 8g

　　

Step 14

Fiber: 6g

　　

Step 15

Sodium: 580mg

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.