Name: Chicken Kale Farro Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup farro; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4-5 kale (leaves, tough stems removed); 1 chicken breast (leftover cooked, sliced or cut into cubes); 1 bell pepper (diced); 2 plum tomatoes (seeded and diced); 3/4 cup cucumber (sliced, I used baby English cucumbers from Costco); 1 cup fresh mozzarella (packed in water, cubed); 1/2 cup kalamata olives (sliced); 3/4 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1 large clove garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon honey; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

After that gut busting grilled cheese on Friday, here’s some healthy and delicious moderation. I have to say this is my preferred style of eating – not all salad — all the time, but a balancing act with a constant supply of wholesome foods and a few indulgences thrown in for good measure. Chicken Kale Farro Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette has a ton of flavor and it’s good for you too!

Table of Contents

1 Ingredients in Chicken Kale Farro Salad
2 Why People Think They Don’t Like Kale…
3 Massaging and Mincing Kale
4 Dietary Swaps
5 Making The Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
6 Meal Prep Staying Power
7 Chicken Kale Farro Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
8 Pin “Chicken Kale Farro Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette” For Later!
9 More Healthy Salads:

Ingredients in Chicken Kale Farro Salad

Farro
Kale
Chicken (leftover or rotisserie is fine)
Sweet Peppers
Plum Tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella
Kalamata Olives
Cucumber

What makes this chicken kale farro salad so inviting are the little treats you find along the way. A nugget of fresh mozzarella, a briny bite of kalamata olive and chewy hearty bits of farro. A satisfying blend of flavors and textures tossed into one bowl.

Why People Think They Don’t Like Kale…

Many people avoid kale, saying it’s too fibrous and hard to eat — which reminds me of a thing my Mom used to tell me I was a kid. I’d save my money to buy a pack of Bubble Yum bubble gum — you remember those giant wads, don’t you? I’d happily shove a piece of that over-sized gum into my mouth — chew, slurp and attempt to break it down into something I could blow a bubble with. She’d always say, “You look like a cow chewing its cud.” Ouch!!! But she was right.

That’s why many people avoid kale — it’s not tender and light… it takes a bit of work. But here’s how to do it with your hands, instead of your jaws.

Massaging and Mincing Kale

The key to tender kale is massaging and mincing.

With your hands you literally rub and massage the kale aggressively for 1-2 minutes to break down the fibers — it makes the kale soft and very fragrant.
When the kale is soft and smells like grass, bunch up as much kale and you can into a tight ball and use a very sharp knife to finely chop it. This will give you a tender kale farro salad. Promise.

Dietary Swaps

Meat Proteins:

In this salad I used about two cups of leftover chicken but you can also use rotisserie chicken or for a more indulgent bent — fried chicken tenders from the Deli. No judgement here.

Other Meat Proteins:

Pork
Lamb
Beef
Shrimp

For Vegetarian:

Swap out the meat for garbanzo beans or maybe some grilled tofu.

For Vegan:

Eliminate the mozzarella and maybe toss in some toasted nuts.

Making The Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

This honey balsamic vinaigrette comes together quickly and it’s packed with flavor from the pungent garlic, creamy dijon, floral honey and tangy balsamic vinegar. Simply add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to emulsify — that’s it.

Even with chopping the garlic it only takes about 5 minutes to put together and is way better than any store bought dressing. WAAAYYYYY!!!!!!

Meal Prep Staying Power

The ingredients in this salad can hold up for a few days in the fridge without going limp, so it’s perfect for make-ahead lunches during the week, provided you have a refrigerator at work or a freezer pack in your lunchbox to keep things cool. I have a feeling this will be in our regular work week rotation! Enjoy!

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