Recipe: Warm Farro and Red Kale Salad with Burrata
Warm Farro and Red Kale Salad with Burrata
During the first few months of the year, I tend to crave meals that are both nourishing and satisfying. This warm grain salad dotted with creamy burrata cheese hits all the right notes. It's terrific on its own, but it can also be served with seared steak or roasted wedges of winter squash.
Serves 2-4
1 cup farro
1 tablespoon capers
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed (about 3 cups of leaves)
2 small cloves garlic
2 anchovy fillets
1 lemon
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ bunch (about 4 ounces) red kale
10 Niçoise olives, pitted and sliced
1 (4-ounce) ball of burrata, torn into pieces
Kosher salt
Boil the farro in very well salted water until just tender. (Pearled and semi-pearled farro will take 15-25 minutes to cook; whole farro, also called unhusked or unpearled, can take 30-45 minutes.) Drain, but do not rinse.
While the farro cooks, make the dressing by combining the capers, parsley, garlic, anchovies, and the zest and juice of the lemon in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until finely chopped, then drizzle in 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and blend to combine.
Remove the stems from the red kale and roughly chop the leaves. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the kale leaves and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the kale barely wilts, about 1 minute. Transfer the cooked kale to a large bowl.
Add the cooked farro to the bowl with the kale. Mix in the olives and ¼ cup of the dressing. Arrange the salad on a large platter or in individual bowls, and tuck the pieces of burrata into the salad. Serve warm, with the remaining dressing on the side for drizzling.