A pile of crispy seasoned chickpeas, juicy bursts of roasted tomatoes, tender strands of chicken and the most amazing creamy tahini dressing tossed with ribbons of kale. Introducing – my Chicken Kale Salad. Now THIS is a kale salad I crave!

A chicken kale salad to crave

This is a fully loaded kale salad that was intentionally designed to be satisfying to have as a meal. It has great variety of textures and flavours – crunch and saltiness from chickpeas, (soft) chewiness of the kale leaves, fresh juiciness from the tomatoes, tender meaty bits of chicken all tossed with a rich, cream tahini dressing. It’s incredibly filling. And the high delicious factor goes without saying!

But really, the absolute star here is the tahini dressing which is so creamy, it’s hard to believe there’s not a drop of mayonnaise in it. The richness is natural, from tahini, enriched with olive oil, balanced with the fresh tang of lemon and a good hit of savouriness from parmesan.

You could actually skip all the add-ins and just make this salad with kale and that creamy tahini dressing, and it would still be scoff-worthy. But I really hope you try this recipe in its entirety too, because it’s something else!

Ingredients in this chicken kale salad

I’m not going to lie – the ingredients list is longer than 95% of the recipes on my website. Because there’s a number of components to this salad. But it’s worth it! And we’re just making a salad here. It’s perfectly straight forward.

The kale (& onion)

First up, the kale!

Tuscan kale – This is the first recipe I’m sharing using tuscan kale, ordinarily I use the more common curly kale. Also known as also known as cavolo nero, black or lacinato kale, the leaves are shaped like silverbeet/chard and not as bushy/curly as regular kale (curly kale) so it’s more suitable to cut into slaw-like strips like I do in this recipe. The leaf is also softer than curly kale.

If using regular curly kale (which you totally can), don’t try to cut it into strips (it gets all crumbly). Just chop or tear into small bite size pieces.

Onion – Just a quarter of a red onion which we sliced very finely so it flops throughout the salad. I like the freshness if adds into this salad.

creamy tahini dressing INGREDIENTS

• Tahini – This is plain pureed sesame and it’s the star player here, providing richness and creaminess in the dressing so it clings to every bit of the kale (and everything else it touches). Be sure to get hulled tahini which is the more common variety here in Australia (pale beige colour) not unhulled tahini (darker in colour and bitter). Tahini is typically found in the health food aisle in grocery stores, else alongside spreads.

• Extra virgin olive oil – The oil in this dressing, rather than using just tahini which makes the dressing too thick.

• Parmesan – For a good hit of savoury flavour. It’s best to grate your own but even pre-grated is fine because we blitz it smooth. Alternative – Anchovies. Oh yes! Use as many as you dare to add flavour and salt without the sauce tasting fishy.

• Lemon – The tang in this dressing, to balance out the richness of the tahini and olive oil. Fresher than vinegar, though you can substituted with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.

• Garlic – Just one clove, else the raw garlic flavour is a little too full on (blitzing really brings out the flavour of raw garlic!).

• Water to thin the sauce to a toss-able consistency. Don’t worry, it doesn’t dilute the dressing flavour, there’s loads of flavour in the dressing!

burst roast tomatoes

Named as such because they burst in your mouth! Literally just cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes, as I seem to use more often these days) roasted in a little oil, salt and pepper until they are a little wrinkled which means in the inside is beautifully soft.

THE CHICKEN

To keep things easy, I just use a store bought roast chicken and shred it myself. If you poach and shred your own, toss the chicken in a pinch of salt and pepper before using in this recipe (because store bought chicken is brined so the flesh has salt).

crispy seasoned chickpeas

And last but certainly not least, the crispy chickpeas! I’m using my go-to spice mix for chickpeas here, recently featured in the Spicy maple roast carrots recipe. It adds great crunch into this salad and nice little salty seasoned pops, as well as adding a starch to fill the meal out. And it’s a “good starch” too, that will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

How to make this chicken kale salad

While there are a few components to this salad, there’s a nice workflow to it:

1. Get those bursty tomatoes and crispy chickpeas in the oven (30 minutes)

2. While they are baking, chop and “marinate” the kale leaves to soften them (20 minutes)

3. Make the dressing, shred the chicken and slice the onion.

4. Assemble and eat!

1. Burst roast tomatoes & crispy chickpeas

1. Bake together – Toss the tomatoes in oil, salt and pepper. Then drain the chickpeas and put them, still wet, onto a separate tray. We’re going to oven dry them before tossing in the seasonings (less effort and more effective to get them crispy than towel or air drying!). Bake both for 12 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and wrinkly, by which time the chickpeas will be thoroughly dried.

2. Toss the chickpeas in a little oil which will make the spice mix stick, then pop them back in the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the chickpeas are crispy (you’ll know, they clatter).

3. Burst tomatoes – Let them cool on the tray until you’re ready to use them. Don’t handle them, they are delicate and prone to, well, bursting!

4. Crispy chickpeas – Once the chickpeas are ready, just set them aside to cool slightly before using. Nobody wants a third degree mouth burn from hot little crispy balls of chickpeas!

2. STRIPPING KALE LEAVES

Because the stem of kale leaves are quite tough and fibrous, I remove the leafy part from the stem. I just rip it off – quick, easy, effective!

1. Separate the leaves then work one leaf at a time.

2. Grab the stem and then grab the leafy part with your other hand and pull it up the stem which will rip the leafy part cleanly off the stem. Don’t worry about crushing the kale leaves, they are hardy and can take it. In fact, we crush them deliberately to soften them!

3. Said leafy part.

4. Stem – Discard or throw into your next batch of vegetable stock.

3. Making the kale salad

1. Soften kale – Kale is a little chewy when eaten raw. So I like to soften it before using in salads. To do this, just massage / scrunch the chopped kale with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Not much is needed – a little goes a long way, you will be surprised! About 10 seconds of enthusiastic scrunching is all that’s needed to disperse the oil onto each bit of kale. Then set it aside for 20 minutes which will soften the kale leaves. In fact, the kale can keep like this overnight, it won’t go soggy like other leafy greens.

   If you don’t mind the chew, feel free to skip this step!

2. Blitz dressing – Use a stick blender to blitz the dressing until smooth. A stick blender works best. If you use a blender, you’ll need to really scrape the sides / blades well. For a food processor, you’d have to use a small one. To make it by hand, finely grate the garlic using a microplane or fine grater and mix very well until smooth. You will have some little parmesan lumps but the dressing will still be tasty.

3. Toss the kale with about two thirds of the dressing (we drizzle the rest on at the end). No need to be exact here, just eye ball it.

4. Add ins – Add the chicken, red onion and cherry tomatoes then toss again just to disperse them.

5. Crispy chickpeas next! Just pile them on.

6. Finish by drizzling with the remaining dressing and a big shower of freshly grated parmesan. Then DIG IN!

I forgot the egg

As I was writing up this post, I realised I forgot to include the soft boiled egg in the recipe video. It is an optional extra and something I added as a last minute addition to dial up the good-for-you substantial-ness of this salad even more.

But it doesn’t need it.

In fact, as I said in the opening, it doesn’t need all the extras. You could skip the chicken, the chickpeas, the onion and tomatoes, and just make a giant bowl of kale tossed in this dressing and it will be a great kale salad side dish.

But if you want to make a statement meal-worthy salad, I urge you to go all in, at least once, to experience the greatness of this kale salad! And I hope you become obsessed with it as I have. – Nagi x

PS Great one for making ahead up to 2 days. Even the “marinated kale” keeps perfectly and won’t go limp like regular leafy greens once they come into contact with oil.

Watch how to make it

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The most amazing Chicken Kale Salad

Recipe video above. WORTH MAKING – don't let the length of the ingredients deter you!! This is a big, hearty salad that may well be the best kale salad you've ever had. Big call I stand by!

Filled with good-for-you nutrition yet anything but bland, that creamy tahini sauce totally makes it, thanks to the parmesan. Crunchy seasoned chickpeas add starchy bulk, flavour pops and texture, the cherry tomatoes add juicy bursts and the chicken provides protein. Oh yeah, and there's kale in it too! Powerhouse greens!

Course Main

Cuisine Western

Keyword chicken kale salad, kale salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3 – 4 people

Calories 695cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

SOFTENED KALE:

• 5 very tightly packed cups Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) , leafy part stripped off stem, sliced into 1 cm / 1/2" ribbons (Note 1)
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper

SALAD:

• 1/4 red onion , very finely sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken , I use store bought (else poach your own, Note 2)
• 2 soft boiled eggs , halved (optional)

BURST TOMATOES

• 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

CRISPY SEASONED CHICKPEAS

• 400 g/ 14 oz can chickpeas , drained but not dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp EACH garlic powder , onion powder
• 1/4 tsp EACH cooking salt / kosher salt & black pepper

CREAMY PARMESAN TAHINI DRESSING

• 4 tbsp (60 g) tahini , hulled (Note 3)
• 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup parmesan finely grated (pack the cup tight), plus extra for serving
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove , peeled
• 4 tbsp water (plus more, if needed)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

SHORTFORM RECIPE:

• Oven – Roast tomatoes 12 min at 200°C/425°F (180°C fan). Roast plain chickpeas 10 min, toss with oil & seasonings, roast 20 min until crispy (same temp).
• Salad – Massage kale, leave 20 min. Blitz dressing. Toss kale, chicken, tomatoes, onion with half. Pile on chickpeas, drizzle with remaining dressing, shower with parmesan. EAT!

FULL RECIPE:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/425°F (180°C fan).
• Roast tomatoes – Toss the tomatoes with the oil, salt and pepper on a small tray. Roast 12 minutes, then cool on the tray.
• Crispy chickpeas – Drain the chickpeas then spread on a tray (still wet). Bake 10 minutes (same time as tomatoes). Push the oven dried chickpeas to one side of the tray. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the chickpea spices, salt and pepper. Toss well using a rubber spatula, then return to the oven for a further 20 – 25 minutes until they're crispy (They should clatter! Note 4).
• Soften kale – Rub/scrunch the kale with the oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Put the kale in a large bowl then drizzle with the oil and add the salt and pepper. Set aside for 20 minutes (softens leaves).
• Tahini dressing – Put the ingredients in a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until smooth, using extra water if needed to loosen into a thick but pourable consistency (see video).
• Toss – Pour half the dressing over the kale and toss. Add onion, chicken and most of the tomatoes (save a few for decoration). Toss again.
• Serve – Transfer into a serving bowl or individual bowls. Top with remaining tomatoes, all the chickpeas and eggs if using. Drizzle with remaining sauce then sprinkle with extra parmesan. DIG IN. SWOON!

Notes

* You could totally just make this with the kale and tahini dressing if you’re just in need of a tasty kale side salad. Everything else are add-ins that makes this into a satisfying, interesting meal-size-salad!

1. Tuscan kale, also called cavolo nero, black or lacinato kale, has leaves shaped more like silverbeet (chard) slightly flatter than curly kale so more suited to cutting into slaw-like strips and the leaves are slightly softer too. To use regular curly kale, chop into bite size pieces (don’t slice thinly, doesn’t really work well).

Removing the leaf off the stem – Grab and rip it off! Quick ‘n easy, watch the video

2. Chicken – I use store bought roast chicken. If cooking your own, I recommend poaching it using this method. Shred then toss with a pinch of salt and pepper before using.

3. Tahini – Mix well if the oil is separated. If it’s set like cement, microwave to warm (it will loosen) then use a stick blender. Hulled is lighter in colour (standard tahini). Unhulled tahini is darker and more bitter (harder to find), I don’t use this.

4. Roasted chickpeas should be crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside (else they are like little rocks!). 10 minutes dry roasting makes them extra crisp (better than air or towel drying) though they will start to soften after an hour or so. For ultra crisp though, and longer lasting crisp, you need to deep fry.

Re-crisp by popping in the oven for 5 minutes or so (same temp per recipe).

5. Storage – Oil rubbed kale will keep just fine for 2 days. Keep the components separate then assemble when required. Crispy chickpeas can be revived – see above note.

Nutrition per person, assuming 3 servings. It’s filling! Easily stretch to 4 with bread or double the chickpeas.

Nutrition

Calories: 695cal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 1186mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1038IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 6mg

Life of Dozer

In exciting news – the RTM sign reveal! Yes, a giant life-size Dozer sticker on the front of RTM.

It is actually quite worrying what a thrill I got to slap a giant Dozer sticker on the RTM window. 😂

And in other news, Dozer was visiting RTM for a shoot day with a professional photographer (Rob Palmer). It’s been bothering me that I still don’t have an RTM website (one of the reasons I haven’t started a volunteer program and public donations yet) and really great photos to provide to media and for other uses. So we had a big shoot day yesterday to capture great photos of the team at work, and what we do.

And I’m explaining all of that so I can share that sadly, Dozer was restricted to the office area for hygiene and food safety reasons. You’d think he’d realise he can barge past that stool and bolt into the kitchen to get to the 480 meals we were making that day, but he’s too good a boy for that! Instead, he just stood there and barked all day. 😂

OFFICIAL PROGRESS REPORT – And on a serious note, his rehab post surgery is continuing though I feel like over the past week noticeable progress stalled somewhat. I’m hoping he hasn’t peaked yet and has more improvements to come.

Also, I think he picked up a stomach bug or gastro on the weekend so he hasn’t been himself this week with some pretty serious bouts of nausea and hyper salivating. I’m a little worried because vomiting / regurgitation poses a lung infection risk for him because of his medical condition which is serious, scary and can be deadly. He’s been to the vet and has another visit scheduled for tomorrow. Fingers crossed he gets over it soon so we can re-commence his strength training!

Mind you, he wouldn’t have been bustling around me in the kitchen to try today’s dish anyway because Dozer’s disregard for kale is pretty well documented:

That was the chapter opener photo from my cookbook. I love that photo so much, it just captures his attitude perfectly! 😂

On a more cheerful note though, he did get out to the beach again on the weekend (Bayview in the Northern Beaches of Sydney where I lived until a year ago). It takes me 40 minutes to drive there and it’s worth every minute because honestly, I can’t tell you how happy it makes him. His personality completely changes, he perks up and has more energy. I think it’s great for his muscle rehab so I’m going to keep taking him.

Woah, that was a much longer Dozer update than expected! I’ll sign off here and hope to bring more happy news with the next recipe! – Nagi x

The post The most amazing Chicken Kale Salad appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Farro – so much more interesting and better for you than pasta or rice! This farro salad is a stellar combination: nutty farro, bursty tomatoes, spinach bits and smeary goats cheese or feta, doused in a garlic Sizzled Dressing with pops of coriander and cumin.

A Farro Salad worth making!

This is a farro salad that was already great before the Sizzly Dressing. The farro is cooked with vinegar instead of plain water (thanks for the tip New York Times Cooking! *See UPDATE*), making it delicious even before the add-ins. The roasted tomatoes are on the edge of bursting. And there’s smeary goats cheese, that tangy, creamy cheese that can make everything seem a little gourmet.

I could’ve just drizzled with a basic lemon dressing, and it would still be scoff-worthy.

But! That sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing! Pops of toasted cumin and coriander with golden bits of garlic tossed through the farro just make for a stellar flavour and textural combination. 100% addictive. Simple but unique. Very Ottolenghi vibes.

I’m completely besotted. (With the salad. OK fine, maybe a bit with Ottolenghi too.)

*UPDATE: A reader pointed out that the NYT recipe uses apple cider (the drink) not apple cider vinegar! Even NYT readers have made that mistake like me – ha ha ha! Well, apple cider vinegar is what I use here and it works brilliantly to be the acid that is normally used in salad dressings. I’m actually glad you don’t have to go out to buy drinking cider to make this. :)*

Here’s a little look at the players in today’s recipe – a pot of vinegar cooked farro (it’s so good!) and bursty tomatoes….

…..and that sizzly dressing and smeary goats cheese…… (or Danish feta)

It’s a magical combination!

What you need for this Farro Salad

Here’s what you need to make this farro salad. First up, the secret ingredient: farro! (I know, I’m hilarious 😂).

Farro

Think of farro as a more nutritious, tastier alternative to white rice and pasta. Or – like quinoa, except it doesn’t get stuck in your teeth. It’s a whole grain that’s got a lovely nutty flavour, and a great meaty chew that makes it so satisfying to eat. Plus, it’s nutrient and fibre rich.

*Update: We’ve made this recipe using pearl barley too! Great alternative.*

Find it in whole food stores, fresh produce stores and delis. The packet pictured above is from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney, Australia), $7 for 500g / 1 lb (we use 210g / 7oz).

Farro type – I use whole farro, the standard sold in Australia. Farro also comes pearled (outer layer removed) and semi-pearled (some removed), but these are not so common in Australia (to my knowledge). Whole farro has nothing removed, and is the chewiest, most flavourful and nutritious.

Substitute with pearl barley. Similar nutty flavour although it is slightly softer. Directions in recipe notes!

How to cook it – Boil in liquid like pasta! Whole farro takes 40 minutes. Pearled takes ~15 minutes, and semi-pearled ~30 minutes. Because pearling isn’t standardised, the exact times will differ. Just taste to check.

vinegar to cook the farro

As mentioned at the top of the post, the farro in this recipe is cooked in a combination of water and vinegar. A great cooking method I tried and love in this Farro Salad recipe from New York Times Cooking*. Using vinegar infuses with tangy flavour, making the farro tasty in its own right. Have a nibble and you’ll see!

*See UPDATE under photo at top of post about mistaken identify – drinking cider vs vinegar!*

The add-ins

Not that many! The magic in this recipe is all about the cooking method for the farro and the sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing.

• Grape or cherry tomatoes – Roasted for just 8 minutes at a relatively high temperature at the same time as the farro (handy!) so they become a little bit wrinkly but still holding together. Some burstage will happen when you toss them through the salad and this is encouraged as the juice forms part of the dressing.

• Goats cheese or Danish feta – Smeary, tangy, creamy goodness, the perfect finishing touch.

• Eschalot  – Called “shallots” in the US, also known as French onions. They look like baby onions, but are finer and sweeter than regular onions so they kind of meld into the salad better. Substitute with finely sliced red onion.

• Baby spinach – I like a bit of green leafage tossed through here and baby spinach is my choice. Rocket/arugula would also work nicely. Crispy greens like iceberg, cos/romaine probably won’t hold up as well as they tend to wilt more easily. But if that’s all I had, it wouldn’t stop me from making this!

The sizzling garlic-coriander-cumin dressing

Channeling my Ottolenghi within, inspired by this green bean salad of his, coriander and cumin seeds are sizzled with a good amount of garlic in olive oil and poured hot over the eschallots on top of the farro which makes them cook slightly.

There’s no vinegar in this dressing because the farro gets cooked in vinegar which is all the tang we need.

• Coriander and cumin seeds – toasted whole in olive oil, they add the most incredible pops of flavour in this Farro Salad! They keep things interesting.

• Garlic – Finely minced, sautéed until golden.

• Olive oil – Use extra virgin for better flavour.

How to make Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing

There’s a few components to this salad but they are low effort and low maintenance steps. And I wouldn’t ask you to do them if it wasn’t worth it!

Toasting / roasting

1. Toast farro & roast tomatoes at the same time. Spread the farro on a tray, toss the tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper then put them in the oven. They will both take 8 minutes in a 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Yes, I know 8 minutes is an oddly precise time. But honestly, at 10 minutes, the farro is very well toasted and the tomatoes are very wrinkly. 8 minutes is perfect!

   PS Toasting the farro gives it extra nutty flavour and gives it a lovely warm brown colour. I do this for quinoa too. Effortless, and so worth it!

2. Bursty tomatoes – Leave the tomatoes on the tray and let them cool while you get on with the recipe.

3. Pour the toasted farro into a medium saucepan.

4. Rapidly simer the toasted farro in water, vinegar and salt for 40 minutes. No need to stir.

5. Cooked farro – The exact cooking time of farro can vary depending on how old the farro is. Older = tougher = longer cooking time and more water. So just taste to check. Uncooked farro is rock hard. Cooked farro should have a good chew to it but not have a hard centre. Overcooked farro will be mushy and unpleasant. Let’s not go there.

   If your farro is still too hard for your taste once the liquid is absorbed, just add more water and keep cooking. It’s very forgiving to cook. You could never do that with rice!

   Drain off any excess liquid. For the farro I use, 3 cups liquid and 1 cup farro = nearly no liquid left.

6. Put the farro in a large bowl then pile the eschalots on top. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes or so, or you can let it fully cool. This salad is great served slightly warm or at room temp.

Sizzling dressing

1. Sizzling dressing – Heat the oil in a small pan then toast the cumin and coriander for around 30 seconds or until it smells amazing. Then add the garlic and sauté that for another 30 seconds or so until light golden and – you guessed it – smells amazing!

1. Immediately pour the sizzling oil over the eschallots on the farro. The hot oil will partially cook the eschallots and make them wilt a bit.

   PS You won’t need to worry about oil spitting and splattering. I really wanted a dramatic sizzle during this step but it’s not dramatic at all.

3. Toss the faro well to mix the dressing through.

4. Add spinach then toss briefly to mix through.

5. Gently transfer the tomatoes in. Handle with care – they are delicate and bursty, hence the name!

6. Then gently mix the tomatoes through. Some tomato burstage is encouraged – it forms part of the “dressing” – but we don’t want them all to turn into complete mush.

   Now, it’s time to plate up!

Assembling

For any salad with goats cheese or feta that goes smeary when tossed through salads, I prefer to assemble the salad by layering it. But that’s just me! You could just mix the goats cheese through if you prefer.

I’ve done three layers here. So – put one-third of the farro salad in a shallow bowl, top with one-third goats cheese. Repeat twice more. Finish with a swish of extra virgin olive oil if desired!

YUM. How good does that look!

If that photo doesn’t get you excited about trying this Farro Salad, do it for the Sizzled Dressing. Because if you haven’t tried a salad made with whole toasted coriander and/or cumin seeds before (like this one or this one), you are missing out! – Nagi x

PS This is an excellent salad for taking places, not only because it’s something different that will impress but also because it’s got excellent shelf life. No worries about wilting fragile leafy greens here! Make ahead and transportability notes are in the recipe card below.

Watch how to make it

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Farro Salad with Sizzled Garlic Dressing

Recipe video above. Farro is so much more interesting than pasta or rice! This salad has stellar flavour and texture: nutty farro, juicy burst cherry tomatoes, spinach bits and smeary goats cheese or feta, doused in an addictive hot garlic olive oil dressing with pops of coriander and cumin.

You'll love how we cook the farro – it's delicious even more you add everything else. Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Excellent shelf life and brilliant for taking to gatherings – see notes.

Course Salad meal, Side Dish, Side Salad, Sides

Cuisine Western

Keyword farro recipe, farro salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Farro cooling 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 8

Calories 367cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Farro:

• 1 cup farro , dried, whole (Note 1)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 2)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Burst tomatoes:

• 400g/ 14oz (4 cups) grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Add-ins:

• 1 eschallot , halved then finely sliced (sub 1/4 red onion) (Note 3)
• 2 tightly packed cups baby spinach , roughly chopped (sub arugula/baby rocket)
• 80g/ 3oz goats cheese or 120g/4 oz Danish feta (Note 4)

Sizzling garlic cumin dressing:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic , finely minced (~4 cloves)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
• Roast tomatoes and toast farro – Toss tomatoes on a tray with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread farro on a separate tray. Put both in the oven, farro on the top shelf, tomatoes underneath. Bake for 8 minutes, shaking the trays halfway. The farro should be browned with a nutty flavour, the tomatoes should be a bit wrinkly but still holding their shape.
• Cool tomatoes on the tray while you prep everything else.
• Cook farro (Note 1) – Put the toasted farro in a saucepan with the vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium so it is simmering. Cover with lid then simmer for 40 – 45 minutes or until all/most of the liquid is absorbed and the farro is ready. It should still have a bite to it (not soft like pasta) but not a hard centre. Add more water if needed, and keep cooking – don't be afraid to cook it softer if you want. Drain off excess liquid, if there is any, then transfer to a large bowl. (Taste: a bit tangy, the "vinegar" component used in salad dressings!)
• Pile eschallots on top. Let farro cool to room temp.
• Sizzling garlic cumin dressing – Heat oil in a small pan over medium low heat. Add coriander and cumin, cook for 30 seconds until light golden and you can smell it. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until light golden.
• Assembling – Immediately pour hot oil over eschallots so it semi-cooks it. Toss. Add spinach, toss. Add tomatoes, gently stir through (some tomato collapsing is encouraged). Pour 1/3 into a serving bowl, crumble over 1/3 goats cheese. Repeat twice more, finishing with goats cheese. Eat!

Notes

1. Farro – Sold dried, find it in whole food stores, fresh produce stores and delis. I got mine from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney, Australia), $7 for 500g / 1 lb (we use 210g / 7oz).

Whole farro is what I use, chewiest and has the best nutty flavour. Standard in Australia. Farro also comes pearled (outer layer completely removed) and semi-pearled (partially removed) which are softer and cook faster. Pearled ~15 min, semi-pearled 30 min. Taste to check, drain excess water.

Cooking tips – Simmer energetically else it will take ages to cook. Exact cook time and liquid absorption will depend on the age. Older = takes longer. Start checking at 35 minutes. Cooked farro is still quite firm, much firmer than pasta, but you don’t want a hard centre. Just cook to your taste – add water and keep cooking until you like it – and when done drain excess liquid.

Substitute with pearl barley, similar nutty flavour but is slightly softer. Takes 35 minutes, will have a little excess water to drain off. Best to spread out on tray to cool (gets a little softer than ideal if cooled in a bowl).

2. Vinegar – Can use other types but make sure it’s not as harsh as regular white vinegar. White wine, red wine, champagne and sherry vinegar will all work great. Balsamic will stain the farro.

3. Eschalot (US: shallots) – The small onions, finer and sweeter than regular onions so they meld into the salad better. Substitute with 1/4 red onion very finely sliced.

4. Goats Cheese – The creamiest of this type so it sort of smears through the salad and becomes part of the dressing. Danish feta is a close second. Greek feta can also be used, just crumble it all through.

5. Storage / making ahead – Assembled salad great for 3 days in the fridge. Excellent one for taking places because farro doesn’t wilt and fade like leafy greens. Make the hot dressing, cool, then put in a jar and keep in the fridge. If you promise to toss carefully, you can put the farro in a container with the eschallots, tomato and spinach on top. Then, douse with cooled dressing, toss gently (you promised to be extra careful!). Finish with goats cheese.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 367cal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 822mg | Potassium: 488mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1108IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

Tea towel licking (ie smears of tasty food). Cute. But annoying. (She says, as she throws the tea towel into the dirty laundry and gets yet another clean one, and tries to scold him but everybody knows she thinks it’s adorable.)

The post Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

The mighty Cobb Salad has arrived! All the essential players present – juicy bites of chicken, crispy lettuce, chunks of tomato, creamy avocado, salty bacon and creamy blue cheese, arranged in the signature rows. Served with a homemade Cobb Salad dressing. Salad was never so delicious!

Cobb Salad

I feel like I’ve done endless iterations of chicken salad, from Chinese to Vietnamese, Mexican to Thai, not to mention all the various non-Asian ones from the Avocado Ranch pasta one to Lemon Chicken to that one I copied from a trendy San Francisco bistro (<- This was is super good!).

So I was a little surprised that I hadn’t done what is probably the most classic of all chicken salads – the great Cobb Salad! Though actually, it was traditionally made with turkey rather than chicken. But these days chicken is more common, especially for homemade versions.

Though there are various tales about the origins of Cobb Salad, one thing everybody agrees on is that the ingredients should be presented in neat rows on a large bed of lettuce. The presence of blue cheese is also essential – otherwise, it’s just another chicken salad!

Cobb Salad Dressing – sharper than most

Another thing worth mentioning is that Cobb Salad Dressing is a little sharper than standard dressings, with a 50/50 oil to vinegar ratio compared to the usual 1 part vinegar to 3 or 4 parts oil. The slightly tangier dressing works really well here because it offsets the richness of the blue cheese, with the added benefit of lower calories!

Ingredients in Cobb Salad

Feel free to cut the vegetables as you wish. Some like them more chunky, to give the salad a sense of heft. Others prefer them chopped into smaller pieces. It’s entirely up to you!

Cobb Salad Vegetables

Here are the vegetables in a classic Cobb Salad.

• Cos / romaine lettuce – Either 1 large or 2 small ones (“hearts”), chopped into large bite size pieces. You want around 12 cups, lightly packed, slightly heaped. I know, it’s hard to measure! It’s flexible. The recipe has plenty of dressing!

• Tomatoes – Either 2 large ones cut into chunks (I prefer this) or 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes, halved.

• Avocados – Two medium avocados or one really large on.

• Chives – This is an optional garnish. Finely chop then sprinkled on at the end.

Cobb Salad Proteins & Blue Cheese

Not a fan of blue cheese? You’re missing out! 😂

• Chicken – You can either poach your own (you will love my foolproof entirely hands-off method) or use store bought roast chicken. Though not standard, I like to toss my cooked chicken in a little salt, pepper and dressing. Just – more flavour.

• Bacon – These days I tend to cook the strips whole then chop afterwards because it’s less effort. So much easier to cut crispy bacon than raw, and less effort to cook strips than a pan full of lots of tiny pieces that keep popping in my face!

• Blue cheese – There might not be full consensus on exactly what type of blue cheese is the classic to use in a Cobb Salad. But for me, there’s no question: creamy is better than crumbly/drier. Creamy blue cheese smears and gets on “everything”, and everything it touches is tastier!!

  My favourite blue cheese for salads is gorgonzola. Gorgonzola Dolce is my preference for a creamier, rounder blue cheese flavour – this is the more common type of Gorgonzola. Though if you like your blue cheese really sharp, then go for Gorgonzola Picante!

  New to blue cheese? Try Blue Castello. It’s probably the most mild out of all the blue cheese, plus it’s better value.

• Boiled eggs – I like mine soft boiled so the yolks are slightly jammy but not runny. 9 minutes in boiling water – boil the water first, lower eggs in then set the timer! (Boiled egg directions here).

Cobb Salad Dressing ingredients

As noted above, Cobb Salad Dressing is tangier than typical vinaigrettes. To help with thickening (because less oil = thinner dressing), a touch of Dijon mustard is used.

• Extra virgin olive oil – Use the best you can afford! The better the olive oil, the tastier your dressings.

• Apple cider vinegar – Good all rounder vinegar for dressings that’s not as sharp as white vinegar. Substitute with white wine or red wine vinegar.

• Dijon mustard – Adds flavour as well as thickening the dressing which is particularly important here because this dressing uses less oil. So the dressing would be very watery without the dijon.

• Eschallot (US: shallot) – The small onions which are finer than ordinary onions so the minced pieces blend into the dressing better, rather than having lots of big chunks. Also, the flavour is not as sharp as ordinary onions. This adds good value into the dressing so don’t skip it! Substitute with 1 tablespoon finely grated red onion.

• Sugar – Just 1/2 a teaspoon takes a bit of the tangy edge off this dressing.

I’m using a classic Cobb Salad dressing today so there’s no garlic in it. But a finely grated garlic clove certainly wouldn’t go astray here!

How to make Cobb Salad

The presentation of Cobb Salad is one of its defining features. Traditionally, it’s served on a large platter with the ingredients artfully arranged in neat rows. I see no reason to stray from tradition when it looks so good!

1. Dressing – Shake everything up in a jar. It really is a quick and easy way to properly mix dressings so they become thick and creamy as they should be.

2. Cook bacon strips until crisp then chop. (See comment in the ingredients section about my preference to cook first then chop later these days).

3. Poach chicken breast using my foolproof poached chicken recipe. (plonk in boiling water, turn stove off, leave 20 minutes. Works every-single-time, and the chicken is juicy!).

4. Chop & toss – Cool chicken, dice into 2cm / 0.8″ cubes. Toss with salt, pepper and a slosh of Dressing.

5. Assemble – Pile the lettuce onto a large platter or bowl. Arrange the following across the surface in neat rows: chicken, avocado, tomato, bacon, egg. Crumble blue cheese across the surface, then scatter with chives. Serve with dressing on the side.

6. To eat – Let everybody help themselves to the salad, and drizzle on Dressing. Then dive in!

A note on serving Cobb Salad

I serve Cobb Salad by laying out the un-dressed salad on a big platter, then pouring the dressing into a jug. Then I leave everyone to help themselves to the salad and pour over as much or as little Dressing as they wish.

I prefer doing it this way because otherwise you have to toss each vegetable separately in Dressing before laying them out in the signature rows. Which means you end up using quite a lot of dressing, plus the lettuce dressed first ends up a little wilted from the dressing if you spend a little too long fussing with the neat rows (YES I DO!🙈).

Not sure if this is the traditional way to serve Cobb Salad, but it works for me! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Cobb Salad

Recipe video above. The mighty Cobb Salad! Don't skip the blue cheese. It's what makes this a Cobb Salad, and not just another chicken salad. Love the presentation on a big platter with the ingredients in neat rows. Serve Dressing on the side for everyone to help themselves (better than tossing each item individually).

Course Main, Salad meal

Cuisine American, Western

Keyword Chicken Salad, cobb salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Chicken cooling 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 706cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 400g/14 oz chicken breast (2 pieces)
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cobb Salad:

• 200g/7oz streaky bacon strips
• 4 x 9 minute boiled eggs , quartered
• 12 cups cos / romaine lettuce (1 large head, 2 small), chopped (or other crispy lettuce)
• 2 large tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then halved (or 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes halved)
• 2 avocados , cut into large pieces
• 200g/7oz gorgonzola dolce (my favourite) or roquefort (traditional), crumbled (or other blue cheese – Note 1)
• 2 tbsp chives , finely chopped

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tbsp apple cider vinegar (sub white wine or red wine vinegar)
• 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp eschallot (US: shallot), very finely minced
• 1/2 tsp white sugar

Instructions

• Dressing: Shake ingredients in a jar.
• Flavour chicken: Poach chicken using this method (20 minute foolproof-guaranteed-juicy). Cool to room temperature then cut into 2cm / 0.75” cubes. Toss with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of Dressing. Set aside.
• Crisp bacon: Place bacon strips in a non-stick pan (not heated, no oil). Turn heat onto medium high – as the pan heats up, the fat will begin to melt. Cook for 2 minutes until golden, turn and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels. Once cool and crisp, chop into 1.5cm / 0.6" pieces.
• Assemble: Spread lettuce on a large platter. Arrange the ingredients on top in the Cobb Salad signature neat rows: egg, bacon, avocado, tomato and chicken. Crumble blue cheese across the top, sprinkle with chives. Pour dressing into a jug.
• Serving: Let everybody help themselves to the salad and Dressing!

Notes

1. Blue cheese – It ain’t Cobb Salad if it ain’t got blue cheese on it! I love using creamy gorgonzola because it smears on everything so it sort of becomes part of the dressing. Hence why the dressing is a little tangier than traditional vinaigrettes – you need it, to cut through the richness of blue cheese.

Blue cheese newbies – Suggest using a milder blue cheese like Blue Castello. Adamantly against blue cheese? Feta or goats cheese would be my picks, and suggest adding an extra tablespoon of oil into the dressing to make it a little less tangy.

Nutrition per serving. Shave off 60 calories by using turkey or lean bacon. And the blue cheese accounts for 130 calories. Totally makes it!!

Nutrition

Calories: 706cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1821mg | Potassium: 1435mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 13271IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

With all the good stuff in this salad, he can’t believe what he was offered.

The post The mighty Cobb Salad appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

I love this chickpea salad because it involves little more than opening jars, it keeps well for days and the chickpeas keep me full for longer. It’s like an antipasto platter, in the form of a protein-laden, good-for-you meal!

Antipasto Chickpea Salad

Professional food writers would probably describe chickpeas as a blank canvas for flavour. I’m not that eloquent. I’ll just say bluntly – I find chickpeas rather bland.

So when you see chickpeas in a recipe of mine, they are always with big, bold flavours. Think – Indian curries, chorizo stew, Moroccan tray bake, Brazilian stew, Greek Marinated Chickpea Salad.

Today’s recipe is no exception. Take canned chickpeas and toss with lots of punchy flavoured antipasto things – sun-dried tomato, roasted red peppers, artichokes and feta – tossed in a dressing made using the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomato.

Boring chickpeas? Not in my world!!

Ingredients in Antipasto Chickpea Salad

OK! Let’s get cracking opening jars. 😂 Here’s what you need.

Add-ins

• Canned chickpeas – I use canned for convenience but if you’d prefer using dried, you will need 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas. 8 to 24 hours soak, 30 to 45 minute simmer.

• Sun-dried tomato – Get the type in oil as we are using the oil from the jar to make the dressing!

• Other antipasto things – Artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives. Feel free to switch out as you wish!

• Baby rocket/arugula – Nice perky, slightly pepper leafy greens that works well with the bold flavours of the antipasto. Plus, it holds up better in salads than crisper leafy greens, like iceberg, when kept overnight.

• Cherry tomatoes – Bursts of fresh juicy sweetness.

• Danish feta, or Green feta – I like using Danish feta in this because it’s creamier and kind of goes smeary when tossed. But Greek feta works just as well from a flavour perspective.

• Coriander/cilantro – Fresh herby goodness that works so well with the flavours in this salad!

Dressing

• Sun-dried tomato oil – The oil reserved from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Free flavour!

• Sherry vinegar – A slightly smoother vinegar with a little more layers of flavour. Substitute with champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.

• Garlic – Minced using a garlic press or finely grated using a microplane, so it melds into the dressing.

• Coriander – For a hint of subtle, warm spicing.

• Salt and pepper – Only 1/4 teaspoon of each, because the antipasto items are already salty.

How to make this chickpea salad

A lot of jar opening! 😂

1. Strain 5 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into a jar to make the dressing. Top up with extra virgin olive oil, if you’re short.

2. Dressing – Add the rest of the ingredients into the jar and shake well until combined. I like using jars to make dressing – fast and effective way to mix the dressing up thoroughly, and useful to store leftover.

3. Drain & roughly chop the artichokes, roasted red peppers and sun dried tomato.

4. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, but reserve a little feta and coriander/cilantro for garnish.

5. Pour over dressing.

6. Toss gently. Some of the feta will go a bit smeary and creamy – I love this! If you are after a more pristine look, then just hold the feta back until the end and do it throughout the salad.

Now THAT is a bowl of chickpea deliciousness.

Make this for dinner tonight, work-lunch tomorrow then have any leftovers on the side of whatever you’re having for dinner the night after.

I can’t wait for you to get hooked on this as I am! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Antipasto chickpea salad

Recipe video above. This salad uses big, punchy antipasto flavours to transform canned chickpeas from meh to seriously delicious – fast! Excellent protein-laden, meat-free meal or work lunch option as it keeps well for 3 days.

Switch out the add-ins with whatever takes your fancy. But whatever you do, don't skip the sun-dried tomatoes. The tasty oil from the jar is used for the dressing, and it’s your secret flavor weapon here.

Course Salad, Salad meal

Cuisine Western

Keyword chickpea salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 5

Calories 512cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 5 tbsp oil reserved from sun-dried tomatoes jar (in salad, below), or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar (Note 1)
• 1 medium garlic clove , minced using garlic press (or finely grated)
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Salad (Note 2):

• 2 x 400g/14 oz cans chickpeas , drained (Note 3 for dried)
• 3 packed cups baby rocket/arugula leaves , roughly torn by hand into 2.5cm / 1″ pieces (Note 4)
• 350g/12 oz jar roasted red pepper strips , drained, roughly chopped into 2.5cm/1″ pieces
• 200g/7 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts , drained, roughly chopped into 1.25 cm / 1/2″ pieces
• 1/2 cup sliced black kalamata olives
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomato strips in oil , chopped into 1.25 cm / 1/2" pieces (reserve oil from jar for Dressing) (3 oz)
• 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes , halved
• 1/3 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
• 200g/7 oz Danish feta (or Greek) , crumbled

Instructions

• Dressing – Shake ingredients in a jar to combine.
• Toss – Set aside a bit of coriander/cilantro and feta for garnish. Place all remaining salad ingredients into a big mixing bowl. Pour dressing over salad, and toss gently together to combine well. The feta will get a bit smeary – love it!
• Serve – Transfer to serving dish. Garnish with reserved feta and coriander/cilantro. Dig in!

Notes

1. Vinegar alternatives: champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.

2. The antipasto items added in this salad are absolutely open to interpretation! Use whatever you fancy or have. Double up on things you’re long on. Replace things that aren’t to your taste.

3. Dried chickpeas – Use 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas. Soak in water 8 – 24 hrs, drain then simmer 30 to 45 minutes until firm but tender to the bite (check early, cook time depends on age. Older = longer, fresher = faster cook). Drain, cool, use per recipe.

4. Leafy greens – Baby spinach would work well here and last better than crisper greens (like iceberg, cos/romaine) if you are intending to keep leftovers.

5. LEFTOVERS Keeps well 3 days in the fridge. Toss well before serving. If intentionally making ahead, best to keep the dressing separate. If making for work lunches, I like to make 50% extra dressing and portion the dressing for each serving.

Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 512cal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 2338mg | Potassium: 932mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3652IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

Food even trumps playing. Like owner, like dog!

The post Antipasto Chickpea Salad appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.