It had been raining and cool for two weeks. The house was quiet as I rummaged through my suitcase in my sister’s dining room while she bustled about preparing dinner.
Even without catching the heady, spicy scent of garlic toasting in olive oil, I would have heard the sizzle and the sudden explosive hiss as a cool liquid met a hot pan — the Leidenfrost effect in the kitchen.
A bright, citrusy orange aroma burst into the room as if someone had just squeezed a fresh orange beneath my nose. I abandoned my search and looked up. “What are you doing in there, Christina? It smells amazing!”
“Just making a farro salad with kale,” she answered. “It’s inspired by a salad I had at Wawa.”
Wawa, a gas station, makes farro salads? My sister clarified that her inspiration came from a quinoa-based salad with cranberries and apples, but what she made was entirely her own — a nutty farro cooked with toasted garlic, tender baby kale wilted in the grain’s heat, and an aromatic burst of fresh orange. She served it warm, topped with crumbled goat cheese. On that rainy day it felt like perfection.
When I got home I set out to recreate Christina’s Farro Salad with Kale. I started by toasting minced garlic in extra-virgin olive oil until it turned light golden and fragrant. Then I added pearled farro and stirred until the grains smelled nutty.
I squeezed half an orange over the pan so the grains hissed and the aroma heightened, then added stock along with the zest of an orange and a half. I brought it to a boil, reduced the heat to low, covered the pot, and simmered the farro for about half an hour. When the cooking time ended I let it rest, lid on, for ten minutes while I washed baby kale and soaked dried cherries in the juice from the remaining orange and a half.
I added dried cherries because I love them with kale. It happened to be one of the first really hot days of the year, so I chilled the salad instead of serving it warm. I had meant to use goat cheese or crumbled feta but forgot — and the salad did not suffer for it. The cherries, plumped in orange juice, were a fine counterpoint to the nutty farro and tender baby kale.
Two cooks from the same background produced dishes that felt both similar and entirely unique. They make a good metaphor for sisterhood, perhaps, but more importantly they make a delicious dish. Hot or cold, with or without cheese, with or without cherries, Farro Salad with Kale is a versatile side: perfect for a cozy, rainy spring meal or a bright addition to a summer picnic.
If you enjoy hearty side salads, this one is substantial and satisfying. Farro Salad with Kale works warm or chilled. If you plan to include goat cheese or feta, consider serving the cheese on the side so each portion can be topped individually — that keeps it from dissolving into the leftovers.
For the cooking liquid, chicken stock adds depth and richness. You can substitute low-sodium chicken broth, vegetable stock, or simply water if you prefer, though water yields a purer grain flavor that some find less rounded. Dried cherries elevate the salad, but they are optional; the salad remains delicious without them.
Farro Salad
Farro Salad with Kale can be served hot or cold — choose whatever you prefer. If adding cheese, offer it on the side. The salad keeps well and makes a lovely make-ahead side.
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Farro Salad with Kale
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3 large cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 pound pearled farro
- 2 oranges zested and juiced
- 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or low-sodium broth or water
- 2/3 cup dried cherries
- 5 ounces baby kale washed
Optional garnish:
- crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
Instructions
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Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the olive oil into a 2 1/2 to 3-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Add the minced garlic with a pinch of salt and fry, stirring constantly, until light golden and fragrant. Add the dry farro and toss to coat in the garlic oil. Stir until the farro smells nutty, about 3 minutes.
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Add about 1/4 cup of the orange juice; it should sizzle and release fragrance. Reserve 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest and add the rest to the pan along with the remaining kosher salt and the stock or water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, undisturbed, for 30 to 35 minutes (follow package instructions for your farro).
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Stir the dried cherries into the remaining orange juice and set them aside to soak at room temperature.
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When the farro is done, move the pot to a cool burner, keep the lid on, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Open the lid, add the baby kale, and fluff the farro so the kale wilts in the heat. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the mixture, pour in the cherries and their orange juice, and toss to combine. Sprinkle the reserved orange zest on top. Serve warm or chilled and garnish with crumbled goat cheese or feta if desired.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the specific ingredients you use.
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