Warm Ricotta Farro Salad with Grilled Kale and Plums
Hearty warm farro salad of ricotta and blue cheeses melted into the cooked grain, topped with balsamic grilled kale and plums.
Servings: 4
Calories: 396.4kcal
Equipment
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
- fine mesh strainer
- 2 Whisk
- Large skillet or stove top grill pan
Ingredients
Farro Salad
- 1 cup dried farro grain
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh ricotta cheese drained
- 1 ½ tablespoon blue cheese I use Point Reyes Blue
- 10 - 12 medium curly kale leaves center tough stem removed
- 3 medium plums pitted, halved, and sliced into 8 slices per plum
Dressing
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- few grinds of freshly ground pepper
- 4 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Add the garlic, salt, and dried farro. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes or until chewy-tender. If there is any liquid left, strain the farro, but reserve the liquid. Return the farro to the pot to keep it warm.
- Whisk the ricotta and blue cheeses together in a small bowl. Stir in the thyme and salt. Fold into the warm farro.
- While the farro cooks, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl except the olive oil. Once the salt is dissolved, continue whisking while drizzling the olive oil into the vinegar base.
- Drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the whole kale leaves. Light rub to ensure complete coverage.
- Heat up a dry grill pan or large skillet over high heat on the stove. Add the leaves in one layer - it's okay if they're touching. "Grill" them for one minute and flip. The edges should be crispy and a little charred. "Grill" for an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Remove and allow to cool. Repeat until all the kale is grilled. (You can use your outside grill too, using a heated BBQ grilling pan or grill sheet.)
- Drizzle two teaspoons of the vinaigrette on the plums and toss. Add them all at once to the hot dry grill or skillet. Cook for 30 seconds or until just beginning to soften.
- Transfer the farro mixture to a serving plate. Top with the grilled kale and plums. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 396.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 62.8g | Protein: 16.9g | Fat: 12.1g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.2g | Cholesterol: 9.8mg | Sodium: 976.2mg | Potassium: 1347.9mg | Fiber: 21.4g | Sugar: 10.5g | Vitamin A: 31863IU | Vitamin C: 298.8mg | Calcium: 866.1mg | Iron: 6.6mg