My friend, Ann, creator of the amazing blog Cooking Healthy for Me, was blessed with a surprise offer to travel to England this month. And I was honored when she asked me to guest post for her! Since her blog focuses on healthy cooking, I couldn’t share my typical fare. As my friends here all know, my blog has a shortage of healthy offerings. I love sharing decadent, gooey desserts…in fact,the gooier, the better! I actually eat healthy most of the time…but those dishes rarely need a recipe. So I had to rack my brain, and with the help of another friend, I found an incredible salad that you will love.
Stop by Ann’s blog to see my guest post.
Mediterranean Salad with Farro, Asparagus and Tomatoes…recipe courtesy of my friend, Ann Waddy
1 cup cooked cannellini beans (I used rinsed canned beans)
1 1/2 cups cooked farro (I cooked in chicken broth)
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and blanched (I used one bunch)
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup kalamata olives, quartered
1 cup bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), cut in half
Pesto Vinaigrette
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place beans, farro, asparagus, tomatoes, olives and bocconcini in large bowl.
Make vinaigrette by combining basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse till coarsely puréed. Pour into bowl and whisk in vinegar, salt and pepper.
Add vinaigrette to salad, reserving some to pass.
Serves 6.
PS….I’ve also received the Liebster award from Diane of The Hidden Pantry. Thanks so much for the honor. Make sure you check out her wonderful blog…I want to dive into the peach berry crisp she posted yesterday!
{ 79 comments… read them below or add one }
Lizzy, your Mediterranean salad has all the flavours that anyone can look for in a healthy dish.
I actually had to look up what farro was. Never heard of it before.
this looks good and healthy
Lizzy – you’re ready for California with this dish!!! LOL! Truly, it looks wonderful and I’d love to try it!
Liz, this is an AMAZING recipe! Thank you SO much for guest posting today….and hello from Jolly Olde England!
Healthy delicious and very appealing
I went to Ann’s first this morning…great guest post and SUCH a delicious recipe. I may use wild rice so I can have a gluten free version!
Look delicious Lizzy and I love your plates (lol)
I love mediterrean food because i’m Italian!!I want to tast this salad,it looks delicious!!
I have seen so many delicious salads around lately, I am ready for a salad party! Yours is probably the most unique blend I have seen yet, so it will be the chosen one to get the party started. Amazing photo-yum!
Funny, I was wondering what was up with this salad! Now it all makes sense … but it looks really fab – see? You can do healthy too! : )
Such a healthy salad, and love the Pesto vinaigrette, which pairs well with the salad, adding even more flavors.
I just had farro for the first time last year and loved it! This is a great new way for me to eat it again. May not be gooey, Lizzy, but good. (Most of the letters are the same!)
you know me loves healthy cooking!
I love farro and your recipe is the perfect vechile for it! lovely ingredients – and so healthy. If you have a moment would you mind popping over to my blog and voting for me – my pear cupcake is in the running for the today shows home chef challenge – thanks so much!
mary x
Perfect vegetarian dish Lizzy, I love it and that you added the kalamata olives. The farro and beans make a total protein. Delicious.
This is so beautiful post
Your salad looks really fresh and delicious 
Che bella insalata!! Salutare e gustosa!!!!
Mangerei volentieri!!!
Qui fa molto freddo e nevica da venerdì!!!!
Un bacio grande!!!!
Congratulations for the award!
The salad looks great and thanks to you I have learnt the existence of “farro”. I am going to check what it is.
What a healthy and colourful salad,,looks yummy :0
Ridwan
Looks so colorful and tempting!
healthy salad
Aarthi
http://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/
The asparagus made me smile. It’s coming… asparagus is coming. And love farro – so hearty.
I am beginning to enjoy more veges and salads these days, in fact very much increase of these.
I have not heard of farro before but sure can google and look for it. Nice with the wonderful dressing you did.
Btw, I am out travelling again Lizzy and access to internet where I am is crazy, you get only in the lobby and not in the room. Sorry if I am not able to comment on your blog regularly but will catch up when time permits, all the more the connection.
Sounds fabulous! Makes me yearn for warm weather and eating out on the patio.
This looks so colorful and delicious!
I will have to try and find farro. Your salad has such an intriguing combination that it will follow me until I make it
Delicious salad, Lizzy! And congrats again on receiving the Liebster!
This is a healthy salad that I could totally get in to. It sounds absolutely amazing (which most healthy salads do not!) and it looks fantastic. Plus I’m loving that there’s farro in it. Ann would DEFINITELY approve! YUM!
That looks fantastic. Can’t wait to head to your friend’s site and look at the whole post.
On a side note; I think you should take a picture of that table. All your food is taken on it and from the bits I’ve seen, it looks beautiful. I want to see the whole thing.
My kind of food, Lizzy! I make a lot of salads with wheat berries which are pretty similar to farro. I’ve been lazy about it lately but you’ve inspired me
Now this is my kind of salad, with this diet you can’t have enough combo’s will add to my must trys this week… lovely!
Just a beautiful salad Liz, great job on a healthy dish. I actually had to google faro, thanks for the discovery!
We make salads like this quite a bit. Looks great Liz!
MEDITERRANEAN salade are always the best!! YOu’ve make a very goog exaple of this!
see you soon
vale
Oh Lizzy this looks SO FRESH and delicious!!
I HAVE to make this…looks so fresh & delicious!!!
I’m with you, I eat healthy, but man do I love my desserts!!!
Congrats on the much deserved award
And also on making such a colorful delicious salad!
Yum!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself
This looks so healthy and hearty at the same time! Deliciousness! Farro is such a versatile and wonderful grain. Thanks for some great healthy inspiration!
There is just something about Meditteranean salads that I adore. I think it’s that perfect combination of flavors. Mmmm! This looks fabulous!
I did it the other way this time – I saw Ann’s post saying that she would make us meet Liz and I said to myself ya that’s the Lizzy I already know:)Enjoyed your guest post lots and your salad looks so divine – a lovely concoction of flavors and a whole treasure of health in there!Awesome.
I’m bookmarking this not only because the combo of olives and mozzarella is irresistible, but also because I love the idea for this vinaigrette!
What a great salad. I love how healthy it looks and sounds!
This salad looks amazing! Great guest post Lizzy =)
Wow this looks so amazing! I can’t wait to try farro! I hope you have an awesome week!
Mmm, that looks wonderful. Kalamata olives are just the best thing
What a great, healthy dish!
Mmmm…farro is one of my favorite grains. Love everything that makes up this wonderful salad!
I have to ask, are you switching from baker to chef? Choc month is coming, maybe you plan to make mole:)
Liz, this recipe looks like a winner and I’m know Ann will be honored by your guest post. I’m with you though.. decadent and gooey desserts are the best and you’re the Queen of them.
Great salad Liz! Great job on the guest post for Ann too!
colourful and delicious Lizzy
Dear Lizzy, This salad is delicious looking!! I would love it. Blessings friend, Catherine xo
A good looking light salad to enjoy prior to one of your wonderful desserts!
Farro is wonderful and this is my kind of salad. Great post for Ann, Lizzy:)xx
Salad looks good. Congrats on your award.
Salad looks good. Congrats on your award.
This looks outstanding! I just love using olives in salads. I’ll def go over to Ann’s blog to check it out! I’m so jealous she is in England!!!
Very pretty salad Liz, although I have never tasted farro. I love asparagus & hubs loves olives!! Will have to give it a go.
Congrats on the award, you certainly deserve it!
Smiles,
d
Congratulations on your award. What a terrific salad. I haven’t tried farro yet. It’s on my list now!
Awesome dish! I had faro once before for breakfast all made up just like a traditional oatmeal, tasty!!
Take care.
Love the pesto dressing with this colourful, flavourful salad, Lizzy. And very healthy too, perfect for your guest post!
Beautiful healthy salad, Liz!
Such a beautiful salad loaded with goodies…and I must try this Vinaigrette! Will stop over to check out your guest post as well
P.S. congrats on your well deserved award
Congrats on the award! If I had awards to give out, I’d give you one too! Awesome blog!
Looks beautiful… colorful, healthy and delicious, I’m sure… I’d gladly eat a lot of this… but my husband would probably say ‘where’s the meat!?’ while digging through his bowl
LOL 
Congrats on the guest post, Lizzy! Will go check it out now!
Now that’s just my kind of salad, full of big flavors and fresh vegetables.
Congrats on the Top 9 today!
I’ve never had farro, but I keep reading about it. It sounds like something I should look into a bit more ’cause your salad looks great! I love the dressing, too. Basically all you have to do is say the word “pesto” and the husband and I are hooked.
trekking your blog!!!
cheers!
..TREK..
Oh, so nice to see you where you belong…at #1!!
BEAUTIFUL colors in this salad + the dressing too
This looks so pretty and colorful.
Congratulations fro being on the Top 9 Today!!! Great recipe and love the grapes with faro.
Cheers:)
J&C
Congrats on No1 Liz!!This recipe is so simple, but packed with so much flavor and texture!Super healthy too.Love it
Congrats on Top 9 Liz! Well done once again! The salad looks fab, hope you’re having a great weekend =]
Congratulations Lizzy, well done!
I missed this post somehow and now I know … things happen for a reason
Congrats on getting Top 9! … again!! Wow, you’re on a roll these couple of months. Keep on rolling! With my shape, you’d think I’d be rolling around more too 
Totally my kind of salad! Bookmarked. Would make for a perfect mid week meal too!
All of my favorite things in one salad – minus the boccini