Market Kale Salad
This kale salad was inspired by the pizza-centric restaurant in my neighborhood that makes amazing salads. We eat there often and I love the salad with farro, avocado, carrots, fennel and a creamy green garlic dressing.
There's a small restaurant in our neighborhood (Ragazza) known for great pizza. And yes, the pizza is on point. But, really, it's their salads I crave - substantial, always changing, made from whatever looks great at the market. I ordered a ringer of a salad the other night, and have been making a version at home in the days since combing market greens with the Ragazza spin. Here you see kale, farro, lots of avocado, carrots and fennel tossed with a creamy green garlic dressing. It's as good as it sounds. The version I've been making is down below, or you can check out the version Sharon makes with little gem lettuce here (scroll a bit).
Market Kale Salad: Prepping the Ingredients
To prep the fennel and carrots, it's worth using a mandolin if you have one. If not, no problem, just use a knife an slice very thinly. If you do too crude a cut the salad loses a bit of its finesse. I like it made with semi-pearled farro, but when I ran out of that reached for wheat berries too. Either way is good.
Make A Meal of It
It has been a bit busy around here and this sort of substantial salad is nice to be able to throw together on somewhat of a whim. To keep most of the ingredients prepped isn't a big deal (grains/dressing/carrots/ nuts)...then, it's not much of a leap to a full meal by adding a poached egg.
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Market Kale Salad
Lacinato kale is my variety of choice here.
- 2 stalks green garlic (or scallions), rinsed and chopped (~1/4 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ripe avocado
- 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
- fresh pepper to taste
- 1 bunch kale, destemmed, torn into pieces
- 1 cup / 5.5 oz cooked farro or wheat berries (semi-pearled or whole)
- 4-5 farmers' market carrots, very thinly sliced
- 1 small bulb of fennel, transparently sliced
- 1 avocado, cut into small cubes
- a big handful of almond slices, toasted
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Make the dressing by using a hand blender or food processor to puree the green garlic, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, avocado, honey, and pepper until smooth. Taste, and adjust with more salt, or honey, or lemon juice.
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Before you're ready to serve, combine the kale with about half of the dressing in a large bowl use your hands to work the dressing into the kale, softening up the kale a bit in the process. Add the farro, carrots, and fennel, more dressing, and a couple pinches of salt, and toss again. Taste, and add the last of the dressing if needed. This is a salad I like quite heavily dressed. Add the avocados and almonds and give one last gentle toss.
Serves 2-4.
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Comments
I love this! And I love the fact that you and I have secretly been on the same page all week with a Green Goddess-like dressing on our kale salads! I literally have been creaming up avocado, juicing lots of fresh lemon and tossing in all the fresh herbs I can find to dress my salads this week. It's such a delightful twist to my usual olive oil and lemon vinaigrette. Also, congrats again with all the success on your shop H! (I loved the recipe additions too!)
I am a HUGE fan of kale salads. They are so easy to prepare and taste so good. I have 2 go-to kale salads that I make almost every day. This one looks amazing as well and I love the addition of farro. I might even throw some roasted tofu in there and call it a meal!
Yum! This salad looks delish. I use kale in smoothies all the time, but I think it's time to try it salad-style. Congrats on the success of the shop... it is gorgeous! I started my online shop almost a year ago and the shipping, stock levels, etc. are still details we are constantly improving on. Much luck to you!
You have so many gorgeous kitchen items - bowls, plates cutlery. How do you store it all? I have a small kitchen, so I stop myself from buying so many pretty things because I just don't know where to store it, esp if it's all mismatchy (even though I love that look).
I have been trying to figure this salad out for MONTHS. Thank you for posting this - I will be making it as soon as possible. (Does the market have green garlic this time of year?)
This looks perfect for lunch- a hearty, nourishing salad to keep you fueled all day.
I am so glad you posted this! I love (and depend) on your kale recipes! I love kale but I am in no way creative enough to figure out how to use it. Thanks for sharing :)
@Debra Prescott - The kale is "destemmed, torn into pieces."
Sounds super yummy. Any good substitutes for fennel?
Oh man, I just made the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad last night for dinner & I think this will rival it!! The Raw salad is so great for a last minute or late night fix. Completely won over a friend who was convinced he didn't like kale, too.
Hold the honey and I am all over this salad! Kale and farro are such perfect foods - and fabulous together. LOVE this!
I really must try to eat my veggies more - this looks delicious!
Pizzetta 211! I KNEW IT!
Thanks for the recipe. I've missed the farmer's market here in Joshua Tree the past couple of weeks, but here's crossing my fingers for tomorrow that the farmer I like is growing his kale throughout the summer again this year, and that he still has his spring garlic. :) If so, I'm going to try it with wild rice as you suggested above. - I too am wondering if a quick blanch and then plunge into ice water would work, as I rarely eat it raw - usually saute or use kale in soup.
This sounds delicious!!! What would you suggest to pair it with for a meal with vegetarians (who are lactose intolerant and allergic to basil, pine nuts,strawberries and asparagus....sigh, I know!)
will try the salad soon. A few years ago all I had on hand were tomatoes, fennel and oranges. Made a wonderful salad with orange juice vinagrette..can't remember whether I put oranges in the salad , think just the tomato and fennel . You brought back the memory.. thx
I know this place, and regularly order a bunch of their salads to go, to avoid the wait. So good!
This looks like such a yummy salad. Thank you for sharing, i would love to give this a try !
Thanks for doing a kale salad variation. I love kale, and always grow it in my allotment garden. "Massaging" the kale is definitely the way to go. Thanks also for your latest cookbook; I got it a while ago and I'm really enjoying cooking from it.
Heidi, this salad looks delicious! I love your bowl in these pictures. Is it antique or can one buy it in stores?