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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!
Remember when I advised you to make some preserved lemons?
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, 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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At ShockD, you’ll find scrumptious, tried & true, "scary good" recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook! Don't blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself away!
E-mail me: Dorothy.Reinhold@gmail.com
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This has so many things that I love! I love that you kicked it up with some jalapeno and I’m always looking for new ways to use farro. Sounds delish!
Carol,
I’m so glad you discovered farro, too! It’s an underused grain, I think.
Holy moly – you got preserved lemon and pomegranate arils in the same recipe – I love you even more than I did before you posted this. Great recipe Dorothy! XO Oh and I LOVE farro too!
Beth,
I think preserved lemon can — and should! — be used on EVERYTHING! Try it on something sweet, like vanilla ice cream. 🙂
This would be a hit in my house! We can’t get enough of farro!
Beth,
I am so, so glad that others love farro too! It’s so satisfying and chewy!
My garden is full of kale that is just about ready! I’m going to try this!
Annie,
Backyard kale is THE BEST!
That’s an incredible looking salad! I don’t think I’ve tried farro before. I need to fix that.
Karen,
You would LOVE farro…it’s a chewy wheat grain, very satisfying!
I love lunches like this!! So pretty and totally healthy!
is today pic for lunch ~ looks delicious and I love chick peas ! thanks for the post.
This salad is seriously making me hungry!
I was shocked at how good this is! I just made it for lunch and ate every bit of it! I had all the iniendgrets on hand too. Today was my second day eating raw and I tasted the raw kale yesterday and I thought oh no! This is horrid! But I liked the salad here even better than a lettuce salad. Seriously more mouthfeel and flavor. I used curly kale and just rolled it up as best I could. A lot of it came out just finely chopped. Tasted NOTHING like raw. EXCELLENT RECIPE!
I love everything about this farro salad – I’m a huge mango fan and the dressing sounds incredibly delicious!
Hi Dorothy, I have to say WOW to this salad! I didn’t even recognize it! You made some great changes and thank you for your kind words!
Asiya,
I really enjoyed exploring your blog. SRC is such a fun experience!
What a BEAUTIFUL entry for SRC! I love all the ingredients in this recipe and your photos are lovely!
Karen from Lavender and Lovage and visiting from group D
Karen,
Thank you so much for the compliments!
This salad is really intriguing and I mean that in a good way. Unexpected, unique… Am pinning now!
Laura,
It IS intriguing, and I mean it in a good way, too! Thank you!
Oh man does this look good! I’ve really been craving healthy food and this salad fits the bill perfectly – all I need to do is switch out the farro for quinoa as I’m not sure that the former is gluten free!
Christine,
Farro is a form of wheat, so yes, sub a different grain. How about spelt? Something chewy!
I love the variety of super delicious foods in the salad – great pick! Happy Reveal Day.
Sarah,
Thank you! It’s like a rainbow salad!
I don’t think I’ve ever had farro before, but this salad is beautiful and looks delicious!!
Jess,
Farro is the new “it” grain!
What a beautiful colorful dish–it must be delicious. Great SRC pick.
Cindy,
Thanks, and IT IS! Best salad I have ever made!
Loved your choice! I’ve been meaning to use kale in a salad, but so far it’s been just sitting as an idea…
Love the colors of your salad, absolutely beautiful!
Sally,
Thank you! You MUST use kale in a salad, and soon! Some of my favorite salads have kale. Not gonna get healthier than that.
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