The addition of nutrient-packed veggies, like beautiful purple kale and juicy tomatoes, makes this delicious farro salad bowl a healthy and nutritious vegan dish that the entire family will love. It's great served as a main or a side dish, and you can turn the leftovers into another hearty salad to enjoy the next day. Just add some fresh veggies and your favorite dressing and lunch is served!
Whether you're looking to new recipe ideas for your Meatless Monday or looking for new recipes to add to your vegan or vegetarian diet, you are going to love this hearty Warm Purple Kale Farrow Salad Bowl. The beautiful colors alone will make you want to dig in right away!
What is farro?
If you are not familiar with farro, it's an ancient grain similar to wheat, that has been eaten in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries for thousands of years. Farro is slightly chewy and nutty, and it's a great addition to soups, salads and stews. It's also super filling! Even though farro has a lower gluten content than wheat, it is not gluten-free and not suitable for people with Celiac disease.
There are several types of farro sold in stores
- Whole Grain Farro
- Is hulled, but the process leaves the bran is intact
- It contains the most fiber ( 5-7 grams for 1/4 cup of uncooked farro),
- Needs to soak it overnight prior to cooking.
- Semi-Pearled Farro
- Some, but not all the bran has been removed
- It contains less fiber than whole-grain farro (3 grams per 1/4 cup uncooked).
- It cooks faster than whole-grain and it doesn't require overnight soaking
- Pearled Farro
- All the bran has been removed
- It contains less than 2 grams of fiber per 1/4 cup uncooked
- It doesn't require overnight soaking
How to buy Farro
It's not as simple as it looks. The packaging of farro doesn't always indicate if you are buying a whole-grain, semi-pearled or pearled farro. A tip would be to look at the cooking instructions, but the best indicator will the nutritional information. If fiber content is between 5-7 grams per 1/4 cup, then you are looking at whole-grain farro (remember to soak it overnight before cooking). If the fiber content is less than 3 grams per 1/4 cup then you are looking at pearled or semi-pearled farro.
When buying farro in bulk, a nutritional label should be attached to the bin.
Nutritional benefits of Farro
It's high in fiber, B vitamins, iron and magnesium, as well as a great source of plant-based protein ( 7 grams per 1/4 cup of uncooked farro).
Some Fabulous Kale Recipes to Try Today
- Cannellini Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup
- Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Mushroom Bacon bits
- Meatless sausage and kale soup
- Braised Kale with Spiced Chickpeas
- Penne Pasta with Cauliflower and Kale Pesto
- Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Tempeh Bacon Bits
- Vegan Garlicky Kale Pizza Hand Pies
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Purple Kale Farro Salad Bowl
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
The addition of nutrient-packed veggies, like beautiful purple kale and juicy tomatoes, makes this delicious farro salad bowl a healthy and nutritious vegan dish that the entire family will love. It's great served as a main or a side dish, and you can turn the leftovers into another hearty salad to enjoy the next day. Just add some fresh veggies and your favorite dressing and lunch is served!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup semi-pearled farro, rinsed and drained. If using whole grain farro see note 1
- 3/4 plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 6 cups purple kale, stems removed, roughly chopped
- 2 large Portabella mushroom caps, diced
- 15 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan with a lid. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat for about for 2 minutes, stirring often
- Add the farro and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring often
- Add 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water ( depending on cooking instructions on the packaging) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Set aside
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the purple kale and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and sauté for 10 minutes, until soft. Transfer it to a plate and set aside.
- Using the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil. Add the diced mushrooms and sauté for 6-7 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper
- Add the grape tomatoes to the skillet and sauté for 2-4 minutes until soft
- Combine the cooked farro, kale, mushrooms and tomatoes in a large bowl and toss well. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you are using whole grain farro, the ratio of grain to water is 1:3. 1 cup farro for 3 cups of water. See blog post to find out about the different types of farro.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Healthy / Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 3.6
- Sodium: 451
- Fat: 10.8
- Saturated Fat: 1.4
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 38.6
- Fiber: 8.5
- Protein: 9.5
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: what is farro, farro salad, how to cook farro
leah says
looks great two questions where do i get purple kale and where can i find the village Harvest farro. thank you Leah
Vicky & Ruth says
We found purple kale at our local produce market. Maybe you could ask where you buy your produce if they can carry purple kale. Click here to find a store near you where you can buy Village Harvest Farro http://villageharvestrice.com/product-locator/
leah says
thank you so much its not easy to find purple kale
Vicky & Ruth says
Sorry about that Leah. We just found purple kale in Whole Foods as well. You do you have one close by? You could probably request that they carry it.
Dawn says
I honestly have never had purple kale before. This dish looks interesting and I definitely want to try!
abbey says
This looks delish, love Farro and will be seeking out Village Harvest! Purple Kale where can I find that?
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Abbey!
We found purple kale at our local Whole Foods Market. If you can't find it, regular kale will work just as well. Hope you enjoy it!
Cindy says
Ladies this looks delicious! Love the colors.
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much Cindy!