This farro and kale salad with blistered tomatoes is not just pretty to look at—it’s a delicious, nutrient-packed meal that will keep you full and energized for hours.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s delicious: This Mediterranean-inspired salad starts with a layer of tender kale, followed by warm, nutty farro. Blistered tomatoes top it off, infusing the dish with intense sweetness and flavor. The decadent oil-free balsamic-maple dressing ties it all together.
- It’s good for you: This salad features three nutritional powerhouses: kale, farro, and tomatoes. Read more about their benefits below!
- It’s perfect for meal prepping: Kale is great for preparing salads in advance because it doesn’t get soggy as quickly as other greens. Likewise, farro is a sturdy grain that holds up well for several days in the fridge without getting mushy or liquidy. Although the salad tastes best when served with warm farro and tomatoes, the tomatoes and dressing are so flavorful that this salad also tastes delicious chilled.
Ingredients
- Water: For cooking the farro.
- Farro: Farro is an ancient grain with a wonderfully nutty and complex taste and a pleasantly chewy texture. It is high in fiber, protein, and other nutrients, including magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B3. Farro does contain gluten, so you should avoid it if you are gluten-intolerant. Brown rice or quinoa are fine substitutes.
- Curly kale: Often referred to as a superfood, kale is extremely nutrient-dense. It is packed with antioxidants, and its benefits include supporting eye health and the immune system. Curly kale, the type of kale used here, is medium green with ruffled edges. It is the type of kale most commonly found at supermarkets. Curly kale is crunchy and has a somewhat peppery flavor.
- Grape tomatoes: The star of this dish. You’ll be roasting them until their juices run, infusing the salad with a rich, complex flavor. Tomatoes are high in lycopene (protective for heart health, among other things) and other antioxidants.
- Lemon zest: Adds brightness to the blistered tomatoes.
- Garlic powder: Adds flavor to the tomatoes and the dressing.
- Dried oregano: For flavoring the tomatoes and the dressing.
- Freshly cracked black pepper: Enhances the flavor of the tomatoes.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Cuts through some of the acidity in the oil-free dressing and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adds richness and depth to the salad dressing.
- Maple syrup: Balances out the acidity in the dressing with sweetness, creating a more complex flavor.
- Dijon mustard: Adds tang and some creaminess to the dressing.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice: Adds zest and brightness to the dressing.
Instructions
First, make the farro by bringing the water to a boil in a medium pot, adding the farro, and returning it to a boil. Lower the heat to medium high and continue to boil the farro, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes, or until the farro has an al dente texture (soft with some bite to it). Alternatively, cook the farro in an Instant Pot.
Once the farro has cooked to your liking, use a colander to drain off any water remaining in the pot. Return the drained farro to the empty pot and cover it to keep it warm.
While the farro is cooking, roast the tomatoes. To do so, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the halved tomatoes in a small bowl with the lemon zest, garlic powder, oregano, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
Spread the coated tomatoes on the baking sheet.
Roast the tomatoes for 20 minutes, or until they are just starting to blister and brown.
Next, while the farro and tomatoes are cooking, make the dressing. Add the applesauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, and oregano to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
Add approximately half of the dressing to the pot of cooked farro and stir well to coat the farro.
Finally, assemble the salad. Line each individual serving plate or bowl with a bed of kale. Spoon a serving of farro onto the kale and top it off with blistered tomatoes. Drizzle additional dressing over each individual serving, to taste.
Garnish with fresh Italian parsley, vegan Parmesan, and/or additional lemon zest. Enjoy!
Variation
To make this dish gluten-free, replace the farro with brown rice or quinoa cooked according to package directions.
Equipment
- Medium pot
- Colander
- Baking sheet
- Small bowl
Storage
Store any leftover salad in the fridge. To prevent the salad from getting soggy, store the dressing separately and only pour it on when you are ready to eat. The salad and dressing are best enjoyed within 4 days.
Related
Other salads to try:
Farro and Kale Salad with Blistered Tomatoes
Equipment
- medium pot
- colander
- baking sheet
- small bowl
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- 1 cup farro rinsed and drained
- 1 bunch curly kale (approximately 1 pound) stems removed and chopped
Blistered tomatoes ingredients
- 8 ounces grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- zest of ¼ lemon
- freshly cracked black pepper
Dressing ingredients
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Garnishes (optional)
- fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
- vegan Parmesan
- lemon zest
Instructions
- Make the farro: In a medium pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the farro and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high and continue to boil the farro, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes, or until the farro has an al dente texture (soft with some bite to it). Using a colander, drain off any water remaining in the pot. Return the drained farro to the empty pot and cover it to keep it warm.
- Make the tomatoes: While the farro is cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, toss the halved tomatoes with the lemon zest, garlic powder, oregano, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Spread the coated tomatoes on the baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for 20 minutes, or until they are just starting to blister and brown.
- Make the dressing: While the farro and tomatoes are cooking, add the applesauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, and oregano to a small bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Dress the farro: Add approximately half of the dressing to the pot of cooked farro and stir well to coat.
- Assemble the salad: Line individual serving plates or bowls with kale. Spoon the desired amount of farro on top of the kale. Top with blistered tomatoes. Drizzle additional dressing over each individual serving, to taste. Garnish with fresh Italian parsley, vegan Parmesan, and/or additional lemon zest.
Notes
- If your kale is not pre-washed and you need to rinse it, take the time to dry it before serving. A salad spinner makes this easy, but if you don’t have one, use a clean kitchen towel to blot the damp leaves.
- To avoid soggy leftovers, store the dressing in a separate container in the fridge and only add it to the salad when you are ready to eat it.
