Broccoli Rabe and Kale Harvest Salad
Combining blanched broccoli rabe with massaged kale makes for a nice twist on a typical kale salad. It gives the greens a little extra dimension. The orange-cranberry vinaigrette has a nice zip from fresh ginger, and helps to lighten the heft of the greens. Shaved fennel and apples add some beautiful and fresh crunch. There’s a little something for everyone with this salad.
This recipe is vegan. For a gluten-free option, replace the farro with some cooked quinoa or wild rice.
Recipe by Laura Wright
Laura is the author of The First Mess, a highly-awarded vegan food blog with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. You can find her work on The Huffington Post, Saveur, Martha Stewart Living, and a number of other media outlets. Her first cookbook, The First Mess Cookbook was released by Penguin Random House in 2017.
Ingredients
Salad
- ¾ Cup farro, rinsed
- 2 Cups water
- 1 Bunch of broccoli rabe
- 1 Bunch of lacinato/dino kale; about 5 packed cups of chopped kale
- 1 Small fennel bulb
- 1 Small sweet apple (such as gala or honey crisp)
- ½ Small red onion (roughly ¼ cup of thin slices)
- ¼ Cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
Orange-Cranberry Dressing
- Scant ½ cup frozen whole cranberries, thawed
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ Cup fresh orange juice
- 1 Tsp. orange zest
- 1 Inch of fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
For the salad:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the rinsed farro, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the farro to a boil, cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the farro for 20 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and still has a bit of chew. Drain the farro and set aside.
2. Rinse out the saucepan that you used for the farro and fill it with about 2 inches of water. Place the pot over medium heat. Let it come to a light boil. Set up an ice bath in a medium sized bowl.
3. Trim the tough stems off of the broccoli rabe and cut it into bite-pieces. Drop half of the cut broccoli rabe into the saucepan and place the lid on it right away. Allow the rabe to steam for about 3-4 minutes, or until tender and lightly wilted. Transfer the steamed broccoli rabe to the ice bath. Repeat this blanching process with the remaining broccoli rabe.
4. Remove the stems from the kale and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped kale into a large bowl. Trim the fennel bulb, reserving some of the fronds, and remove the core. Shave the fennel with a mandolin right over the bowl with the kale. Remove the apple core and shave it with a mandolin over the large bowl. Remove the tough outer peel of the red onion and shave it with a mandolin over the large bowl.
5. Squeeze all of the excess water out of the blanched broccoli rabe and place it in the large bowl with the kale and other shaved fruits/vegetables. Add the cooked farro to the bowl as well.
For the dressing:
1. To make the dressing, combine the thawed cranberries, olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, fresh ginger, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in an upright blender. Blend the mixture on high until you have a smooth consistency.
2. Season the salad with salt and pepper and pour three quarters of the Orange-Cranberry onto the salad. Massage the dressing into the kale, broccoli rabe, farro, and other fruits and vegetables until everything is evenly coated. Transfer the dressed salad to a large platter. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top and garnish the salad with the chopped walnuts and fennel fronds.
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