How to Make Farro Salad and Baked Pita Chips for Under $3

When money is tight, don’t limit your diet to ramen and instant mac and cheese. Healthy food can be just as cheap. This vegan vegetable farro salad with baked pita chips costs less than $3 ($2.81 plus tax, to be exact) when its ingredients are bought at Trader Joe’s. Get shopping and I can assure you that your wallet, and stomach, will thank you.

Farro and Vegetable Salad with Baked Pita Chips

• Prep Time:10 minutes
• Cook Time:10 minutes
• Total Time:20 minutes
• Servings:2 servings
• Medium

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked whole wheat pizza dough ($0.60)
• 1/2 cup uncooked farro ($0.60)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 of a cucumber ($0.60)
• 1/3 of a red bell pepper ($0.23)
• 1/3 of a yellow onion ($0.23)
• 1 Roma tomato ($0.29)
• 5 oz garbanzo beans ($0.26)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

• Step 2

  Flour a piece of parchment paper and roll the pizza dough until it is as thin as possible (about 1/16 of an inch thick).

  

• Step 3

  Transfer the parchment paper to a baking sheet and prick the dough all over with a fork. Paint with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

  

• Step 4

  Bake dough for 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Break or cut into chunks.

  

• Step 5

  Combine farro and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

  

• Step 6

  Rinse chickpeas under cold water.

  

• Step 7

  Chop cucumber, tomato, red pepper, and onion into large chunks. Mix with farro, chickpeas, olive oil, and salt/pepper to taste.