Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing is hearty and flavourful, loaded with Mediterranean flavours, fibre and protein, and topped with a thick and creamy fig dressing! Add this salad to your meal prep routine for a filling lunch or dinner option.
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VALLEY FIG GROWERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BOB’S RED MILL. AS ALWAYS, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THANKS FOR SUPPORTING THE BRANDS THAT MAKE CRUMB TOP BAKING POSSIBLE.
I’m so excited to be teaming up with Valley Fig Growers and Bob’s Red Mill to bring you this recipe for Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing. I’m using Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice California Mission Figs and Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro to create this recipe. And I’m sharing it as part of their January series on meal prepping to help you reach your SMART goals.
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. When it comes to eating a little healthier or a little cleaner, applying these elements to your goals is important for success.
And making time for meal prep is a great way to stay on track to meet your healthy eating goals. I’m a huge proponent of meal prepping, so before I share the recipe for this Tuscan Salad, I thought I would share a few meal prep tips that work for me.
Tips for meal prepping to stay on track:
- Focus on the meal that’s your greatest challenge: It’s not always possible to prep meals and snacks for the entire week, so focus on your greatest pain points. I have time in the morning to cook breakfast, so I tend to focus my meal prep efforts on lunch and dinner, which are busier times of day for me.
- Prep mix and match items: While meal prepping full meals is helpful (i.e. soup, chili), I also like to meal prep specific items that I can mix and match to create different meals throughout the week.
- Meal prep a diverse range of foods: To help mix and match, I like to have a variety of veggies, protein and fibre prepped and ready to go as sides, mains and/or salad toppers. This could include roasted sweet potatoes, cooked chicken or fish, washed and cut veggies, and cooked quinoa or farro.
- Focus on meals that are quick and easy to assemble: If your prepped meal still takes a lot of time to assemble, this defeats the purpose of meal prepping. So focus on preparing ingredients that can be pulled together as a meal in 10-15 minutes.
- Have healthy snacks ready to go: When your stomach starts to growl mid-afternoon, having prepared snacks at your finger tips is essential. Homemade oatmeal muffins or granola bars are great, as are portable fruit such as bananas and apples. I also like to have pre-packaged snacks, such as dried figs, stashed in my purse for hunger emergencies. (You never know when you might get stuck in traffic!)
This Tuscan Salad has been one of my favourite meals to prep lately. All of the ingredients are cooked and prepared ahead of time, which makes it easy to whip up as a quick and hearty salad for lunch or dinner.
Some tips for making Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing:
- The dried figs are soaked in hot water before being puréed into the dressing. This is an important step as it softens the figs and helps create a smooth and creamy texture.
- The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days. Just give it a stir and add to the salad when ready to serve.
- I purchased pre-washed and chopped kale to save time. Ready to go spinach, arugula or romaine lettuce would also work nicely.
- I enjoy cold farro on this salad, so cooking it in advance and storing it in the fridge works perfectly. If you prefer warm farro, you can still cook it in advance, just re-heat it in the microwave before adding it to the salad.
- You can prepare all of the salad ingredients in advance and assemble when ready to serve. Or assemble the salads in individual containers for grab and go lunches during the week. Just add the dressing when ready to eat.
If you make this Tuscan Salad, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Or take a pic and share it on Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.
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Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Lunch; Dinner
Description
Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing is hearty and flavourful, loaded with fibre and protein, and topped with a thick and creamy fig dressing! Add this salad to your meal prep routine for a filling lunch or dinner option.
Ingredients
For the fig tahini dressing:
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup dried figs, Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Figs, stems removed
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
For the tuscan salad:
- 4 cups kale, packed and torn with stems removed
- 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Farro, cooked (about 1 cup uncooked)
- 1 – 540ml can no salt added white kidney beans (or cannellini beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 cup dried figs, Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Figs, halved
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted or un-pitted
- 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
Instructions
Preparing the fig tahini dressing:
- In a glass bowl, add the hot water and figs. Cover and let soak for 20 minutes.
- Once soaked, add figs, water and the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth. This makes about 1 cup of dressing. If you prefer a thinner salad dressing, just add more water until you reach your desired consistency.
- Pour dressing into a jar or glass dish with a lid, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembling the tuscan salad:
- Divide all of the ingredients into 4 bowls and top with dressing when ready to serve.
Notes
- You can prepare all of the salad ingredients in advance and assemble when ready to serve. Or assemble the salads in individual containers for grab and go lunches during the week. Just add the dressing when ready to eat.
- The dressing will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just be sure to stir or shake it before adding it to the salad.
- The prep time for this recipe includes time for the figs to soak and farro to cook.
This salad has me totally fixated especially with the sound of that fig tahini dressing! So creative Leanne!
Thank you Christie! The dressing is thick and creamy, and I’ve been adding it to all my salads lately!
What a hearty, delicious salad! I love the texture and nutty flavor that farro adds to salads and Fig Tahini Dressing? Sign me up!!
Thanks Marissa! I love farro in my salad for the very same reason. And the dressing is a nice one for sure!
you had me at figs and olives! i love fruit in my salad, and an underseasoned salad is a sad one, so this sounds great.
Thanks Heather! I’m with you! I love a well-seasoned salad! And figs and olives are a great combo!
You’ve sure got some great flavours going on in this salad! The moment I read “fig” I knew I had to have it. This hearty and healthy meal looks delicious!
Thanks Vanessa! Yes, there is definitely a lot going on in this salad! I hope you get a chance to make it. The dried figs add such a great taste and texture!
I’m aboslutely loving the ingredients in this salad Leanne! Farro is one of my favorites, as is Bob’s Red Mill! Love that fig tahini dressing too. Need to add this recipe to my salad rotation!
Yay! Thanks Mary Ann! Hope you get to try this one! Love farro too! It adds such a heartiness to this salad!
Love -and eat often- each and every one of these beautiful ingredients. Together, they are like a symphony.
Delicious, Leanne!
Thank you so much Nicoletta! That’s so lovely of you to say! Hope you’re having a great week!
I love figs, but never had farro in a salad before. Great recipe especially when trying to eat a little cleaner right now 🙂
You should definitely try farro in salad. It’s hearty and filling, and the chewy texture adds a nice contrast to the other ingredients! Thanks Philip!
I actually have some of those same dried figs in my fridge lol!! They are amazing!! And that dressing sounds incredible!!! What a stunning salad!
Thank you Camila! Those figs are addictive. One of my favourite snacks lately, when I’m not adding them to salad!
What a wonderful hearty salad…it’s a meal all on itself! I’m totally loving that luscious fig tahini dressing. It all looks delicious Leanne!
Thanks Marisa! With the hearty beans, farro and kale, this really is a filling salad. And the fig tahini dressing is going on everything lately!
Hearing about your SMART goals takes me back to work when I had to write out yearly goals for improvement! I think I much prefer writing out goals when it comes to food 😉 This salad looks SO hearty and filling, Leanne!
Haha! Sorry for the work flashback Katherine! I’ve had to do those at work too. I’d much rather food related goals as well!
I am so so in love with this salad! So many different textures and flavors—exactly how a bomb salad should be. This is a perfect lunch OR dinner!
Thank you so much Dana! There are definitely a lot of different tastes and textures going on here. Glad you like it!
I’m a huge fan of figs and farro, so count me in! That fig tahini dressing is just a brilliant idea — all of these flavors sound so great together. Beautiful job Leanne!
Thanks so much Marcie! The fig tahini dressing has been a staple in our house since early January. I’ve been adding it to this salad, and every other salad too! Happy Monday!
Great recipe! I have not used figs a lot in recipes but I think I will have to try this. Pictures are great as usual
Thanks Terry! Figs add a nice taste and texture to many different recipes, especially salads! Definitely worth a try!
How cute are those little figs? YUM! I could eat my weight in figs…and I love Bob’s Red Mill so much! I’ll have to give their farro a try. Thanks for an awesome recipe, Leanne – I can always use more salads in my meal prep line up!
Thanks Haylie! Funny story, the first time I tried Orchard Choice Mission Figs was at the Everything Food Conference last year. And I’m certain on the flight back home I really did eat my weight in figs! So good! Glad you like the recipe. Happy Monday!
I am loving the flavors going on here
Thank you Patrick!
Any recipe with the word Tuscan in it gets my full attention – and this is no exception!! So hearty and delicious! And the deep earthy colors just make me happy!! Pinned!
Thanks so much Annie! You know me, I had to add a pop of colour to help brighten up the dreary January weather! Thanks for pinning!
Love a good, hearty salads and farro is definitely always on hand in our pantry. And a fig dressing? Yes please! Bet it pairs so lovely with the other savoury ingredients. How awesome would this be for lunch today?? Pinned! Have a great week, Leanne 🙂
Thanks Dawn! The sweet fig dressing really does pair nicely with the other savoury ingredients. And farro is incredibly filling. Definitely adding it to salads more often! Hope you have a great week too!
Fig tahini dressing? I could drink that with a straw! This sounds awesome, Leanne! I adore farro so I’ll be trying this one for sure!
Thanks Kelsie! The dressing is thick and creamy, so perfect for dipping too! Just sayin’!;) Hope you get a chance to try it! Have a great week!