Farro Kale Salad

This farro kale salad is hearty and vibrant — packed with creamy butter beans, sour cherries, and a tangy pomegranate molasses dressing. A nourishing vegan side dish that’s full of colour, crunch, and depth of flavour.

Course Salad

Cuisine International

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Dietary Dairy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Plant-Based

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 509kcal

Author Amy Chung

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup farro pearled
3 cup vegetable broth
1 brown onion thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil divided
6 stalks kale green
½ cup flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
1 can butter beans (400g)
50 g dried sour cherries

Salad Dressing

1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp allspice

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Salad

Rinse the farro thoroughly.
Place in a saucepan and add water and broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer. For pearled farro, boil for 10 to 20 minutes; for semi-pearled farro, 20 to 30 minutes; and for whole farro, up to 40 minutes. If there is excess liquid after farro is cooked to al dente, discard.
Sauté sliced onions with olive oil until cooked through.
Remove kale leaves from the rib. Add olive oil and massage the leaves for 5 minutes until soft. Tear or chop into smaller pieces.

Salad Dressing

In a small mixing bowl, add red wine vinegar and pomegranate molasses.
Drip in the olive oil and whisk as you go until it emulsifies.
Add garlic and allspice and mix until well combined.

Assembly

In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together
Pour salad dressing on top
Mix until well combined.
Serve

Video

Notes

If you’d like to add protein, marinated and baked tofu can make it vegan-friendly while adding protein. For our non-vegan followers, add grilled or shredded chicken or flaked, grilled salmon.
For some different greens, you can use baby spinach leaves instead of kale for a milder flavour. Try arugula for a peppery kick or just a mix of different leafy greens.
Love your grains and want to add more? You can add quinoa, barley for more chewy and nutty flavours or brown rice for a different texture.
For more vegetables, try adding roasted sweet potatoes, beets, or bell peppers to add a rich, caramelised flavour. If you prefer raw vegetables, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or shredded carrots add freshness and crunch.
Need more crunch? Chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans add crunch and richness. Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds provide extra texture and nutrition.
For butter bean alternatives, use chickpeas, cannellini beans, black beans, or edamame beans.
Dried sour cherry substitutes include dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, or figs.
For pomegranate molasses replacement, try balsamic glaze, honey, or maple syrup for a different sweet-tangy element.

Nutrition