A salad doesn’t always have to be fussy, much like this Chopped Kale and Farro Salad. Filled with chopped kale, farro, sliced radishes, grilled corn, shredded carrots, and red onions tossed in a balsamic dressing. Likely, these could be ingredients found in your refrigerator, pantry, or left-overs from other meals.
Meanwhile, this looks like a salad you would find in an upscale restaurant. Unlike a side-salad, this salad is filled with color, texture, fiber, and bold flavor. Without a doubt, this salad could be a meal in itself.
Start by washing the kale to remove any grit or grime. I used baby curly kale. The leaves are tender and not very tough whereas some varieties of kale stems are known to be tough and fibrous with a slightly bitter flavor. Checkout Xtreme Ceramic Cookware if you are interested in learning more about the numerous different types of kale.
Start by cutting the kale into strips then, add onion powder, and a small amount of olive oil to the kale. Massage the kale with the ingredients to breakdown the cellular wall. This also reduces the chance of the kale becoming tough and bitter.
Ingredients Need for the Salad
Once the kale has been prepped, start by adding a few other ingredients to the Chopped Kale and Farro Salad:
- Carrots can be so basic it’s normally a part of so many salads. Yet, you can kick it up a notch by shredding it very thinly. I used a special Julienne peeler to do that. It looks so elegant.
- Red onions sliced to add a bit of heat to the mix.
- Sliced red radish lends a little peppery kick to the salad.
- Grilled corn adds a bit of that smoky outdoor flavor to the salad.
- Farro is an ancient grain that adds more fiber to the salad it’s chewy with a nutty flavor. It’s an excellent source of protein. Plus, it’s rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals. Cook the farro according to the package direction. Some types of farro can take close to 25 to 30 minutes to cook. It’s prepared similar to quinoa. It’s a wonderful addition to bring to the meal planning toolbox.
Never underestimate the power of a salad. If you are thinking of adding more vegetables and fiber to your diet then Chopped Kale and Farro Salad certainly fits the bill. Add simple homemade Balsamic Dressing consisting of:
Balsamic Dressing
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- kosher salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Add the ingredients to a mason jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously. Pour over the salad and enjoy!
The Chopped Kale and Farro Salad want disappoint. Not only will you find kale and farro useful for salads, but a variety of other meals. Try using both in stews, soups, wraps, quiche, smoothies, and other side dishes.
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- 2 bunches curly baby kale, washed and cut into strips
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup cooked farro
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sliced red radishes
- ½ cup sliced red onions
- 2 ears grilled corn, cut-off the cobbs
- 1 cup julienne carrots
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. honey
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- kosher salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- In a medium saucepan, cook the farro in the water according to package directions. Cool.
- Wash the kale remove any thick stems. Cut the kale into strips.
- In a large salad bowl, add the kale, massage the onion powder and olive oil into the kale to make it tender.
- Next, add the cool cooked farro, radishes, onions, corn off the cobb, and carrots to the salad. Mix thoroughly with the kale.
- Then, combine the Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a jar; seal and shake vigorously until emulsified.
- Finally, dress the salad with as much or as little dressing as you like. Enjoy!
