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Broccoli Rabe & Kale Harvest Salad with Cranberry Orange Dressing

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Servings 6 -8
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Ingredients

Salad

  • ¾ cup dry, uncooked farro
  • 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
  • ⅓ thinly sliced red onion
  • 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 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • 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 25 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and still has a bit of chew. Drain the farro and set aside.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 removing 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.
  • 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.
  • To make the dressing, combine the thawed cranberries, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, fresh ginger, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in an upright blender. Blend the mixture on high until you have a smooth consistency.
  • 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.

Recipe Notes

  • You could cook up an equal amount of wild rice, millet, or quinoa for a gluten-free option.
Broccoli rabe and kale harvest salad with orange cranberry dressing is a colourful and fresh addition to any Fall table.