Mushroom and Kale Farro Salad

Lately, we’ve been all about the comforting recipes, as I’m sure many of you have been savoring as well. With a serious drop in temperatures and lots of snow on the ground, a warm bowl of anything really hits the spot.

During an icy blizzard last week, I received an unexpected surprise from Farmbox Direct, an organic produce delivery service. While I usually love to pick out my own produce, it was quite nice to have fresh vegetables and fresh fruit delivered right to our doorstep! The fact that is was all organic and locally sourced was just the icing on top – plus I didn’t have to venture out in the snow and ice.. score.

I was so thankful and amazed at how gorgeous the produce was. They sent me a rainbow of oranges, kiwi, mangos, pears, lemons, apples, pomegranates, grapefruit, cucumber, celery, spinach, carrots, broccoli, purple potatoes, mushrooms and a watermelon radish (which I can’t wait to try!) but I mean, wow! Farmbox Direct offers three different sized boxes and you can choose a mix of produce as well as all fruits or all veggies. I highly recommend this service, especially if you have a super busy week or are trying to eat healthier – this will force you to make healthier choices and you have yummy fruit to snack on for the week, plus lots of vegetables for juices, salads and dinner! 

We enjoyed much of our Farmbox this weekend (hello green juices and mango orange smoothies) but I had to include a couple things like mushrooms and pomegranate seeds in the recipe today. 

Farro, also known as spelt, is an ancient grain that I’ve been meaning to try for a while. It seems sort of exotic right?! When I came across a small bag of farro at Trader Joe’s, I instantly added it to my basket. It reminds me of rice with it’s soft, chewy and crunchy texture – perfect for salads, soups, stews and casseroles, or even on it’s own as a side or replacement for brown rice. Farro is not gluten-free in case you were wondering – but it’s fun to try something besides a token quinoa salad. It’s hard to part with quinoa! Not that I want to, quinoa will always be amazing but trying a new grain/seed once in a while is a fun way to mix it up 🙂

Boil it as you would rice, in water (or vegetable broth for extra flavor), and then drain. I love how this Mushroom + Kale Farro Salad came together! The pomegranates add the perfect juicy crunch to this savory + warming hearty dish. I’m still going strong with #oilfreejanuary and this recipe reflects that but if you like sautéing your vegetables in a little oil, go right ahead. I honestly didn’t miss oil in this recipe. Try heating up a few tablespoons of vegetable broth instead if you want to try it.

Check out this post or this post for more info on #oilfreejanuary 🙂 

You will love this Mushroom and Kale Farro Salad for lunch, dinner or as a hearty side – it will keep you full and nourished with 10g of plant protein and 5g of fiber for only 1/2 cup of farro. 

Mushroom and Kale Farro Salad

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups farro
• 1 small red onion
• 1/4 cup veggie broth (or 1 tablespoon olive oil/coconut oil)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound mushrooms (about 2 cups chopped)
• 3 cups kale, torn in small pieces
• 2 tablespoons liquid aminos (or tamari, soy sauce etc.)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

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Instructions

1. Boil the farro according to the directions. Drain and transfer to large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a separate medium-sized pan, heat the veggie broth (or oil) until hot and start sautéing the onions, adding in the garlic 2-3 minutes after. Stir in the mushrooms, kale, liquid aminos, parsley, salt and pepper, adding in extra vegetable broth if needed. Cook until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
3. Transfer the veggies and any extra liquid in the pan to the bowl with the farro and mix. Fold in the pomegranate seeds and pepita seeds. Serve warm or room temperature.
4. Enjoy!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4

 Have you tried farro before?!