Creamy Cilantro Salad

With Farro and Black Beans

You can’t find a bigger nutritional punch then this salad. It is full of so nutritional attributes it was impossible to list them all.

Farro is considered a whole grain. It contains iron, magnesium, and fiber along with protein. In ¼ cup you will get 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 30 grams of complex carbohydrates (Web MD). Whole grains have been linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

Black Beans fall into the pulse category, also referred to as a legume. Along with providing your body with protein and fiber they also contain phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc which are important for bone and joint health. The potassium, calcium and magnesium all help to decrease blood pressure organically, decreasing chances of heart disease. The benefits are truly too long to list (Ware, 2018). In 1/2c you will get 114 calories, 7.6 grams of protein, 20 grams of complex carbohydrates and 7.5 grams of fiber

Corn is a staple in many cultures. With its high antioxidant count, minerals as well as protein it is a delicious addition to this salad. Fresh is best but if in a pinch find a low sodium organic brand of canned corn.

Yellow or Red Peppers are full of vitamins, but they also contain a carotenoid called beta cryptoxanthin. This has directly been linked to a decreased risk of degenerative disease and some cancers (Buir, 2016).

Avocados Aside from being delicious avocados also contain a variety of carotenoids and have been linked to the reduction of cardiovascular disease (Pacheco, 2022).

Cilantro can lower blood sugar, so much so that doctors advise people with low blood sugar or on diabetes medication to be aware. It also contains dodecenal an antimicrobial effective against illness caused by diseases like salmonella (nourish, 2022).

It is easy to say this bowl is nutritious and delicious. It is a simple salad to put together after you make the farro and dressing.  In the interest of keeping this easy, organic canned black beans and organic canned corn is fine. Of course, it is always better to make them fresh when possible.

RECIPE

Servings: 4-6         Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 20       Total Time: 50 min **

*After the farro and the dressing are made you can have a quick lunch or dinner ready to go in the fridge for the rest of the week.

*You can also cheat and buy and organic cilantro dressing or even top it with salsa and plain yogurt instead of the cilantro dressing.

Ingredients

            Bowl

• 1c farro
• 1 can of organic black beans
• 1 can of organic corn
• 1 avocado (use 1/3 of it if you are prepping for yourself for the week wrap the rest for the next day)
• 1 yellow pepper (if prepping for yourself for the week just cut 1/3 of it, wrap up the rest for the next day)
• 1 cucumber (just cut ¼ of it if you are prepping for the week saving the rest for the next day)
• 1 Green onion

Cilantro Dressing

• 1 bushel of romain lettuce (use ½ c – 1 c loosely chopped save the rest for the next day)
• 2 bushels of cilantro
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp pepper
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 1/2c5%fatGreek yogurt
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ t paprika

Optional

• Shredded chicken
• Ground turkey meat
• Cotija cheese