My husband is a big meat-lover, so I’m always thinking of vegetarian recipes that would still appeal to him. This Mediterranean farro salad is perfect in that respect. It has sun-dried tomatoes, which not only are packed with flavor, but also have a meaty texture. Chickpeas, kale and feta round out the recipe nicely and give it a very Mediterranean feel.
If you haven’t cooked with farro before, you should definitely give it a chance. Farro is a grain that has a similar taste to brown rice, but is a bit nuttier. It’s as easy to cook as rice or quinoa and just as versatile. I thought it held up well to the stronger flavors in this dish, especially the sun-dried tomatoes and feta.
I do have to admit something which might come as a shock, considering I have a vegetarian blog: I am still learning to love kale. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one in the whole world who hasn’t become completely and utterly obsessed with it in the past few years. I’ve had a few too many experiences eating raw, tough kale that scared me off for a while, but I’m ready to give it another chance. I’m not sure when I’ll be ready for raw kale again, but I’m taking baby steps by sauteing it and trying it in soups. I really enjoyed the sauteed garlicky kale in this dish, which didn’t get as wilted as spinach does. And of course, sneaking a superfood into dinner feels great too.
- 1½ cups uncooked farro
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas
- 4 cups chopped raw kale
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup feta crumbles
- For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Cook farro according to directions.
- When there is about 5 minutes left on the farro, saute the garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan until lightly browned.
- Add kale, sun dried tomatoes and chickpeas to the saucepan and cook 2-3 minutes, until kale is just beginning to wilt.
- Combine kale mixture to farro and add the feta.
- Whisk dressing ingredients together and add to the farro. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Another interesting and nutritious recipe…it looks quite tasty. I agree that sauteed kale is much preferred to the raw stuff!
I was going for tasty and nutritious, so I’m glad you agree! I think you would like this sauteed kale, but you could easily sub in spinach if that’s what you have on hand.
This salad looks so delicious! I have never tried farro before but really want to give it a try! And kale: there is nothing worse than tough, bitter, raw kale! I totally understand how you could be turned off from it by that. Gorgeous photos!
Thanks for visiting, Denise! I think you’ll really like farro – it’s easy to cook with and soaks up flavors really nicely. I’m glad I’m not the only one who isn’t a fan of tough and bitter kale!
I was looking at an old post where you mention the bitter taste of kale. Try this:
1. Wash the kale, and dry with a salad spinner or clean kitchen towels.
2. Lay kale face down on cutting board, and use a chef’s knife to remove the stems. (If using curly kale, you can also try folding the leaf together and cutting the stem out from both sides at once).
3. Pick up and remove the leaf, leaving the rib or stem on the cutting board.
4. Do about 3 leaves.
5. Stack the greens on top of each other, and slice them cross-wise into ribbons. A 1/4-inch is a good size for salads.
6. Repeat steps 1-4 until all kale has been cut up.
7. Gather the kale pieces together and massage them with your hands, by gently kneading and squeezing them.
8. As you massage the kale, you will see that the color deepens and darkens just a bit, and the kale begins to feel a bit silky.
9. For curly, coarse and red kales, a good 5 minute massage is needed.
10. The more delicate Tuscan kale (aka Lacinato or Dinosaur) needs kneading for only 1 minute.
This is advice from America’s Test Kitchen
Thank you for the great tips – I’ll definitely try these out!
You’re certainly not alone with your aversion to raw kale. Sauteed with garlic sounds much better. Plus, you can count me as another yet to discover farro. From what you’ve described, though, it must be perfect for a dish like this. I like the sound of something even nuttier than brown rice.
I should mention that Trader Joe’s carries farro, so it’s not like you have to look high and low for it. I think you would really like it!
loving the look of these farro salad.. i don’t ever cook enough with it! i definitely need to recreate the recipe.
Thanks, Thalia! I think my favorite part of this recipe is all of the flavor you get from the sun-dried tomatoes. I hope you enjoy it!
Excelente receta! La pondremos en práctica!
Gracias, Paula! 🙂
I love this and have eaten it both just-cooked and also cold. How did you intend this to be eaten? It is called salad after all.