This hearty kale salad is anything but boring: tossed with tangy lemon and flavorful pecorino cheese and topped with nutty farro, crunchy sourdough breadcrumbs, and tart dried barberries.
Yield: 4 main or 6 side servings
Cook Time: 15 minutesminutes
Total Time: 30 minutesminutes
Ingredients
6oz/ 170g(1 bunch) kale, thick ribs removed
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
½cup/ 42gfinely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more to finish
¼cup/ 50gextra-virgin olive oil
2tablespoonslemon juice, from 1 lemon
⅛teaspoondried chile flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼cupbarberries
1cup/ 114gfarro, cooked according to package instructions
For Breadcrumbs:
2slicesday-old sourdough or other crusty bread, torn into coarse crumbs (about 2 cups worth)
1tablespoonolive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Remove large ribs from kale. For curly kale, coarsely chop or tear into bite-sized pieces. For lacinato kale, stack leaves on top of one another and then roll up into a log; slice crosswise into 3/8-inch ribbons. Put the kale in a salad spinner, rinse in cool water and spin until completely dry. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place the chopped garlic on a cutting board and mince very finely, smashing and scrape the garlic with the side of the knife until it forms a paste-like consistency. You can also use a mortar and pestle to crush the garlic into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl (or keep it in the mortar if you're using one) and add olive oil, lemon juice, chile flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper; whisk to combine.
Pour the dressing over the kale and toss well to thoroughly combine (your hands are really the best tool here). Add pecorino cheese and toss to coat. Let the salad sit for at least 5 minutes so the kale softens slightly.
Cook farro according to package instructions. Drain well, then toss with a glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Let cool completely.
To make breadcrumbs, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dump sourdough crumbs onto a half sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, then use your hands to toss crumbs until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread crumbs out in an even layer on the pan, and bake for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure even cooking, until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool.
To serve, pile kale into bowls. Top with farro, breadcrumbs, barberries, and a sprinkle of cheese.