I love to make elaborate meals when hosting – making the meal itself feel like a celebration. However, there is something that is uniquely satisfying about a meal that is the perfect trifecta of: fast, delicious and nutritious. One of the quickest ways to do this in my opinion is a cabbage based salad. A hearty meal that keeps well and is a breeze to make. So this recipe naturally is a cold salad, but what inspired me was to try and make a recipe with pesto. It was the end of our summer garden and we had a lot, and I mean a lot, of basil. Not only that,  but my aunt and uncle also gave us some of their yearly home grown pesto. Sometimes the best ingredients are what you have! 

I love to add farro into salads, it adds a wonderful chewy texture that adds great contrast to the crunch of the fresh vegetables. We also add in some chopped walnuts to add a subtle nuttiness to complement the farro and pesto. While I used homemade pesto, feel free to use your favorite premade pesto as well. Overall, this makes a great meal prep recipe or weeknight meal. I hope this recipe finds its way into your kitchen soon! 

Active time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry farro, cooked to package instructions
• ½ head medium green cabbage
• 1 red onion
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ⅓ cup pesto
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (omit if sensitive to spice)

Directions:

1. Cut the half cabbage into 2 wedges, cut out the stem. Very thinly slice the cabbage into strands. This can either be done with a knife or with a mandoline if you have one. Aim for a coleslaw-like texture. Add the cabbage to a large bowl and toss with a pinch of salt to tenderize it. 
2. Dice the red bell peppers and red onions and add to the bowl. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters and add to the bowl. Finally add the walnuts, nutritional yeast and cooked farro as well. 
3. Make the dressing; whisk together the pesto, balsamic vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes. Pour over the salad and toss to combine, taste for salt levels and adjust. Enjoy!