Kale market salad

Contributed by Food for health editors


Kale market salad

This salad, which was featured on the 101 Cookbooks blog, is crisp, crunchy, and delicious. It's another great way to include more kale in your diet.

Another advantage: it holds up well even when dressed. I made a large batch and then took it to work for lunch for two days in a row. The dressing is also creamy and zesty. I hadn't used green garlic before — and even needed to ask for help to find it in the market — and I loved its mild garlicky flavor.

Servings: 2 to 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt (this is optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons ripe avocado
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)
  • fresh pepper to taste
  • 1/2 bunch kale, destemmed, torn into pieces (I used the type known alternatively as Dinosaur kale, Lacinato or Tuscan kale)
  • 1 cup (or 5.5 ounces) cooked farro or wheat berries (semi-pearled or whole)
  • 4 to 5 carrots, very thinly sliced
  • 1 small bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, cut into small cubes
  • A big handful of almond slices, toasted

Directions

  1. Puree the green garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, avocado, salt and honey (if you're including them) and pepper until smooth in a hand blender or food processor. 
  2. Taste, and adjust with lemon juice if needed. 
  3. Before you're ready to serve, combine the kale with about half of the dressing in a large bowl. 
  4. Use your hands to work the dressing into the kale, softening up the kale a bit in the process. 
  5. Add the farro, carrots, and fennel, more dressing and toss again. 
  6. Taste, and add the last of the dressing if needed. 
  7. Add the avocados and almonds and give one last gentle toss.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 280
  • Total fat: 14 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 105 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 34 g
  • Dietary fiber: 9 g
  • Total sugars: 3 g
  • Protein: 7 g

For 6 servings; includes half the dressing.