Office Lunch Recipe: Banda Volpi’s farro and chickpea salad will fuel you up for long workdays

An easy salad recipe to pack for your next office lunch

Phil Scarfone, culinary director of Banda Volpi (the group behind Vancouver restaurants Savio Volpe, Pepino’s, La Tana and Elio Volpe), has the ideal salad recipe for workdays. “It gets better as it marinates in the salad dressing,” he says, “and it pairs well with any other protein: grilled chicken, baked fish or even tofu or tempeh.” Delicious!

Farro and chickpea salad

Ingredients

• 60 g chickpeas, canned or cooked fresh
• 100 g farro, cooked according to package instructions
• 8 g pickled pepperoncini, thinly sliced
• 15 g salsa verde (see recipe, right)
• 45 ml Italian dressing (see sidebar)
• 10 g pumpkin seeds, roasted
• 6 g capers
• 4 basil leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Method

In a bowl, combine chickpeas, farro, capers and pepperoncini. Add salsa verde and Italian dressing. Mix well.

Tear in 3 to 4 leaves of fresh basil and add the toasted pumpkin seeds. Mix one more time and check for seasoning.

Adjust according to taste. Finish with olive oil and serve a bit colder than room temperature.

Salsa Verde

Ingredients

• 65 g parsley
• 40 g basil leaves
• 20 g capers
• 8 g garlic
• 2 g chili flakes
• 160 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 g salt
• 1 g freshly cracked pepper
• 10 ml fresh lemon juice

Method

Fine-chop parsley, basil, capers and garlic. Place all the chopped ingredients in a bowl.

Add chili flakes, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix well.

Check for seasoning and adjust according to your taste. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Italian Dressing

Part A – Ingredients

• 50 g fresh-peeled garlic
• 100 g extra-virgin olive oil
• 300 g canola oil
• 8 g fresh rosemary
• 4 fresh bay leaves

Part B – Ingredients

• 130 g red wine vinegar
• 8 g salt
• 30 g sugar

Method

Chop garlic and add all the ingredients of part A in a pot. Simmer on low heat until the garlic is caramelized (8 to 10 minutes). Remove the bay leaves and discard.

Once cooled, add to a blender and blend for 3 minutes. Mix all ingredients from part B together.

Slowly drizzle the mixed ingredients of part B into the blender while still blending the ingredients from part A. Continue until everything is combined together. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.