Another kale salad? Yep. I can’t stop eating this one. It’s full of tender massaged kale, chewy cooked whole grains, tangy crumbled goat cheese, toasted almonds and dried cherries. The vinaigrette is intentionally zippy, and it brings it all together. This salad is a dead ringer for one of my favorite Kansas City salads, the winter farro salad at French Market. It’s a cozy place with grab-and-go salads, amazing pastries and crêpes. The woman behind the counter typically has a lovely French accent. We often stop there on our way out of town for healthy road snacks.
I’ve become quite enamored with their farro salad. Since it’s labeled “winter,” I thought I’d better come up with a homemade version before it’s too late. Here it is! This salad would be a wonderful hearty vegetarian option on your Easter table. It also packs great for work lunches and spring picnics. Beware, it’s hard to stop eating it once you start.
Watch How to Make Farro & Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
Salad Notes & Tips
Farro cook times can vary, depending on whether you buy pearled, semi-pearled or whole farro. Sometimes it’s hard to know which one you have, so check the cook time on the label or just test the farro frequently for doneness after about 15 minutes has passed. While the farro cooks, you can work on the remaining components (whisk together the dressing, toast the almonds, chop the dried cherries, and massage the kale). Yes, I just said “massage the kale.” Sprinkling the chopped kale with a few dashes of salt and repeatedly scrunching it in your hands until darker greens helps do two things. One, it makes the kale taste less bitter and “raw.” Two, it makes the kale more soft and easier to eat, which makes a big difference! Keep a watchful eye on the almonds as they toast in the skillet, and stir often. They can go from golden brown to burnt quickly. Freshly toasted nuts add tons of savory flavor and extra-crisp texture—don’t skip this step! Once you’ve drained the cooked farro, stir the vinaigrette and dried cherries into the warm farro. The farro will absorb some of that delicious vinaigrette flavor, and the warmth will temper the garlic. The moisture and warmth will also help plump up the cherries a bit. Lastly, wait until the farro is almost completely cool to stir it into the kale and add goat cheese. Otherwise, the goat cheese will melt, and your salad won’t be quite as pretty. You can serve the salad immediately, or let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours.
Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! I really love hearing from you. Looking for more kale salads? You’ll find more kale salad recipes here.
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Make it gluten free: Substitute wild rice (cooked according to package directions) for the farro. Long-grain brown rice would be ok, too. Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the goat cheese. If you really want a creamy element, you could drizzle a little bit of my vegan sour cream over individual servings. Make it nut free: Replace the almonds with pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds.
