Chock full of superfoods like chickpeas and kale, this rainbow of a salad is naturally sweetened with ripe mango and blueberries, and flavored with a masterful lemony dressing.
I’ve whipped up a veritable rainbow of a salad that you might like for lunch or dinner. Chock full of superfoods like kale, chickpeas and the Italian whole grain farro, it is lightly sweetened with fresh mango, blueberries and chopped dates, and dressed in a sprightly, lemony masterpiece of a dressing.
It was so good I made it two days in a row!
[1]Remember when I advised you to make some preserved lemons [2]?
Well, let’s pull them out and put them to good use! (Didn’t do it? You can buy them, but please take this opportunity to go and make some for next time, because we’ll be using them again. And again. It’s cheaper and easier to make your own.)
This salad will make #MeatlessMonday downright appealing! It also holds well overnight, even dressed, so you can make it ahead, or be confident in taking the leftovers for lunch the next day. And it can sit out on a buffet table at a potluck or party, without any harm.
Ingredient notes:
Farro is a type of Italian wheat that is nutty and chewy when you cook it. It’s a bit like barley, which may be substituted if you cannot find farro. You could also sub any other cooked grain-type thing you like, including white, brown or wild rice, or cooked quinoa.- I’m calling for white balsamic vinegar instead of red, because I don’t want to muddy the color of the salad.
If you don’t have preserved lemon, you may substitute a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt, to your taste. But make some preserved lemon [2], I beg of you!
Chock full of superfoods like chickpeas and kale, this rainbow of a salad is naturally sweetened with ripe mango and blueberries, and flavored with a masterful lemony dressing. Pomegranate arils bejewel the top.
Ingredients
- Salad
- 1 (16- to 19-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked and cooled farro (a grain)
- 1 cup diced firm-ripe mango
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 a red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 a yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 large lacinato kale leaves, stem removed and leaves sliced into fine ribbons (chiffonade cut) [aka Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, black kale, Cavolo Nero]
- 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely minced
- .
- Dressing
- 1/4 of a preserved lemon, both skin and flesh, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- .
- Garnish
- Blueberries
- Pomegranate arils (what you might think of as pomegranate seeds)
- 2 green onions, sliced
Directions
- Combine all salad ingredients (except garnishes) in a large salad bowl. Toss gently to mix well.
- Add all dressing ingredients to a 2-cup measure or tall bowl and puree, using an immersion blender.
- Pour dressing over the salad, toss gently, and let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Serve on plates or in wide bowls, and garnish liberally with blueberries, pomegranate arils and green onion.
- Serves 4 for a main salad, and 6 for a side salad.
Notes
Recipe source: Dorothy Reinhold | Shockingly Delicious
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