A Kale & Farro Salad that Goes the Distance

Runner Shalane Flanagan and chef Elyse Kopecky teamed up to create a cookbook for runners, and they’re excited to share three recipes with Fitbit readers. Here’s their go-to salad, featuring superfood kale and whole-grain farro, slicked with an addictive lemon-miso dressing. Don’t forget to check out Run Fast, Eat Slow, their collection of delicious recipes that go the distance.

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Photo by Alan Weiner

 

Kale-Radicchio Salad with Farro
for bone-building nourishment

As the idea for this book developed, Shalane started keeping a food journal. One of the things we realized was that she was eating countless spinach salads. While spinach is high in vitamins and minerals, in its raw state it is also high in oxalic acid, which can interfere with mineral absorption. Not good for bone health.

Enter kale salads. This was the salad Elyse brought to a summer dinner at Shalane’s house the night the idea for this cookbook was born. The al dente texture of the farro combined with the lemon and garlic flavors in the dressing make this salad reminiscent of a bowl of fresh pasta. If you like, go ahead and double up on the dressing. It’s chock-full of immune-boosting garlic and digestion-enhancing miso.

Elite marathoner and recipe tester Matt Llano claims to eat this salad now nearly every day. He’s addicted to topping it with sliced avocado. When he can’t find radicchio, he swaps in red cabbage.

1 cup farro, rinsed and drained
1 recipe Lemon Miso Dressing (below)
1 large bunch kale, finely chopped, stems removed
1 small head radicchio, quartered, cored, and cut crosswise into thin strips
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

In a large pot, place the farro with enough water to cover by a couple of inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the farro is tender but still chewy, about 30 minutes (see note below). Drain the farro and set aside to cool.

To assemble the salad, toss the kale with three-quarters of the dressing in a large salad bowl. With clean hands, gently massage the kale with the dressing to soften the leaves. Add the radicchio, Parmesan, walnuts, and farro to the kale and toss again. Taste and add the remaining dressing, if needed.

This salad can be made in advance. It tastes even better the second day. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Serves 8

Cook times for farro vary depending on if it is whole, pearled, or semi-pearled. Quick-cooking farro lacks the nutty flavor and texture of whole farro. Our favorite is Bob’s Red Mill organic farro, which is “scratched” to decrease the cook time without compromising flavor or nutrition.

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 405
Protein 14 g
Total fat 28 g
Saturated fat 5 g
Carbs 30 g
Fiber 7 g
Sugar 1 g
Sodium 295 mg

 

Lemon Miso Dressing
for dressing up in style

This is our signature dressing. ’Nuff said. Make it tonight and you won’t be disappointed.

This dressing has a special affinity for our Kale-Radicchio Salad with Farro. It’s our go-to salad that we take to just about every baby shower, potluck dinner, and picnic. We’ll keep making it because our friends keep requesting it—and we’re starting to wonder if they’re inviting us or our salad over!

½  cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons miso paste (preferably mellow white)
½  teaspoon fine sea salt
¼  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, miso, salt, and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Use a fork to stir in the miso, then shake vigorously to emulsify.

Pour generously over your favorite grain salad.

This dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. If the oil solidifies, briefly microwave on low until melted.

Makes about 1 cup

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 128
Protein 0 g
Total fat 14 g
Saturated fat 2 g
Carbs 2 g
Fiber 0 g
Sugar 1 g
Sodium 115 mg

 

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Reprinted with permission from Run Fast, Eat Slow by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky, published by Rodale.

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