Silly me forgot to get photos of most of the things I made for the 4th of July! To be fair, I think most of it was gone before I could snap a picture anyway! I’ll get a post up of what photos I did manage to get, as well as a recipe for what my friends and I have called “crack salsa”!
After the long holiday weekend I found myself with a few leftover ingredients to use up for my lunch today. This salad is one of my favorite make-ahead meals, and I’ve fed it to some picky people that love it! I hope you try it out!
Italian Wheat Berry Salad with Summer Vegetables and Tofu
This summer salad is so easy to prepare. Sure the wheat berries take an overnight soak and an hour to cook, but it’s all hands-off prep, which is great. I’ve even heard that you can freeze cooked wheat berries!
If you use store-bought pesto and pre-baked tofu, this meal is ready in a matter of minutes.
I also love the versatility of this recipe. It’s really easy to sub in whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand. You can also sub the tofu with some chickpeas or cannellini beans. It’s a great make-ahead meal for lunches as well.
- 1 cup uncooked wheat berries
- 3 ½ cups water
Soak wheat berries overnight in the water, then bring to boil and simmer (or put in rice cooker) for 1 hour or until done.
- ½ package extra firm tofu, sliced into “steaks”
- ¼ cup Italian dressing or homemade vinaigrette (or just some splashes of balsamic, soy sauce, and herbs)
Soak the tofu in your marinade, then bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes per side. Let cool and cut into small strips.
- ¼ cup pesto
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ zucchini, thinly sliced into circles, then into small strips
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, sliced
- Cubed fresh mozzarella cheese or vegan mozzarella cheese (optional)
Prepare the wheat berries and bake the tofu. Then combine all ingredients in a bowl and chill overnight. Serve at whatever temperature you like!
