Kale and Artichoke Salad

For a satisfying salad that’s easy to make and delicious you must try this massaged Kale and Artichoke Salad! Jarred marinated artichokes and nutty farro add so much flavor and texture to an otherwise tough green. The key to the best kale salad is to let the greens marinate for at least an hour before serving. Everyone will love this artichoke salad!

Vegan, Nut Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free

Another delicious creation is brought to you by happenstance… I’ve been crazy busy brainstorming and testing recipes for a huge recipe project that’s not for my blog, so I simply haven’t had time to plan and test recipes for ze blog. However, I love freely cooking in the kitchen without a recipe so I’ve loved to experiment with whatever ingredients we have for dinner and on the weekends.

A few weeks ago I was sent beautiful bunches of kale from my friends at Cal-Organic, so I naturally made a kale salad for dinner that night. I also happened to have several jars of marinated artichokes that I was supposed to use for a recipe for my daughter’s baby naming, but that never happened (thanks c-vid), so they’ve just been sitting there.

I love relying on kitchen shortcuts (like marinated artichokes) because you don’t even have to make a salad dressing! You can simply use the oil that’s in the jar and voila, you’re done!

This Kale and Artichoke Salad is…

• Easy to make
• Freakin’ delish
• SATISFYING
• Filling
• Great for a crowd

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make this Artichoke Salad with Kale?

There are only a handful of ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

1. Kale
2. Jarred marinated artichokes
3. Farro
4. Tomatoes
5. Raisins

Kale is the base of this recipe.

I love the crunch. I typically prefer lacinato kale over curly kale, but my husband picked up curly kale by accident, and it works! The key is to chop it super thin. Thinner than you’re thinking right now.

Jarred marinated artichokes are essential for this artichoke salad.

Not only do the artichokes add so much fiber and flavor to this recipe, but the oil and spices that they’re marinated in are the dressing. As in, you don’t need to make dressing for this recipe. It’s THAT simple!! Trader Joe’s sells a great option, but so does almost any other supermarket.

Farro adds a nutty chewiness to this recipe.

Plus, adding a fiber-filled whole grain makes this salad super filling. Farro is one of my favorite grains to cook with because the texture is far superior to other whole grains. Make your life easy and buy the 10-Minute Farro from Trader Joe’s.

Raisins lend a hint of sweetness to the salad.

I loooove adding fruit to salads. I think it makes them so much more enjoyable. Raisins are a concentrated sweetness that I love adding because they also add a chewy texture that complements the farro really well.

Tomatoes add acidity.

Have you heard of the book Acid, Fat, Sugar, Heat (I think that’s the name). The premise is that when cooking you need all of those elements. Tomatoes here add the acidity to balance out the sweetness and fat from the marinated artichokes. There’s no salad dressing with vinegar or lemon juice here, so I find the tomatoes work really well.

How do you make kale actually taste good?

There are a few tips to make kale actually taste good…

1. Cut it up reallllly thin!
2. Massage the hell out of it.
3. Let it marinate in a yummy dressing for at least an hour.

If you follow those tips, I guarantee your kale salad will be a notch above the average kale salad! That’s why I’d never order kale at a salad place because it’s not well massaged and doesn’t sit enough.

Ingredient Substitutions

Nearly any ingredient in this artichoke salad can be substituted, except the artichokes!

Instead of kale try arugula or romaine lettuce. I prefer something with a crunch, so I’d maybe opt for the romaine or even a butter lettuce, but I bet spicy arugula could be delicious too!

Instead of raisins try fresh berries. Sliced strawberries or blueberries would be great! If it’s fall, sliced pear or apple would be delicious too!

Can you make this artichoke salad gluten free?

Farro contains gluten, so if you’d like to make this salad gluten free, simply use a gluten free grain. Quinoa would be my first go-to suggestion.

How to Make the Best Artichoke Salad…

The makings of this salad are really quite simple.

First, as I mentioned above, you must chop the kale very thin and massage the hell out of it. How do you massage kale? Simply squeeze and release a few times. It sounds weird, but it breaks down the fibrous cellulose in the kale leaves so it tastes better and is easier to digest.

Then, add the remaining ingredients into the bowl. Last, add the oil from the jar of marinated artichokes. That’s your dressing.

Last, let the salad marinate. I recommend letting the salad sit for at least one hour, but you can let it sit even overnight. Kale is such a sturdy leaf that it holds up well and really doesn’t get soggy.

How can you make this artichoke salad a balanced meal?

Balanced meals are my favorite way to feel good and eat a variety of foods. The reason most salads don’t keep you full long enough is that they’re not adequately balanced. A balanced meal includes:

• Carbs
• Protein
• Fats
• Veggies

This salad definitely have veggies, fats (the oil in the dressing), and carbs (farro + raisins), but is lacking a punch of protein. Yes, nearly every food provides *some* protein, but to truly stay full you need more than just a hint here and there.

I’d suggest adding 3-5 ounces of protein to truly balance out this meal, including:

• Grilled chicken
• BBQ steak
• Broiled shrimp
• Marinated tofu
• Tempeh
• Beans, like chickpeas, or lentils

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make this Recipe:

You only need a few kitchen items to make this recipe, including:

• Large bowl
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Saucepan + cover

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Other recipes you may love:

• Warm Farro Salad
• Southwestern Cobb Salad
• Burger Salad with Special Sauce

XO

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