Vegan, Gluten-free (V + GF) Sweet Potato, Kale and Ferro Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette; a delicious and healthy salad for a weeknight meal.
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How was your week folks? Can you believe it is almost September ? Wow, time goes by so fast! Last Monday I celebrated my Birthday (August 22nd), which actually turned into a weekend of celebrations. It’s funny how as I get older the celebration gets bigger and better, and I am honestly enjoying every bit of it since growing up we couldn’t celebrate birthdays due to my family’s financial restrictions.
On Saturday, we went to one of my favorite places to eat, Tuscan Kitchen (Italian of course!). Besides eating lots of fresh focaccia, cheeses and prosciutto, I enjoyed my favorite dish of Shrimp Scampi while watched Brazil win Olympic Gold Medal for man’s soccer against Germany. That was a treat!!
On Sunday, we took a lovely family stroll in our beautiful city of Boston. Boston is fairly small, yet filled with history, caracter, fun-filled-activities and just plain gorgeous. I am so proud to call Boston my home city! One of my favorite places in the city is the Boston Public Market. The Market houses 40 local farmers, fishers, and food entrepreneurs. Everything sold at the Market is produced or originates in New England. Which makes Boston Public Market the coolest place in town!
On Monday, the actual day of my birthday, we had a beautiful family dinner at home. It was simple, relaxing, elegant and filled with love. My Mother-in-law made spaghetti, roasted squash, corn on the cob, salad and Ron grilled salmon, steak and chicken followed by cake, of course 🙂
After all the birthday celebration, it’s time to get real. So this week, we are trying to get super organized around the house and finalize back-to-school shopping, as the kids will be starting school on the 30th. We are also trying to relax and enjoy these last few days. In an effort to ease-into-the-schedule, I prepared this Sweet Potato, Kale and Farro Salad for a nutritious and filling weeknight meal. This salad responds well with refrigeration, so please be sure to make enough to enjoy for leftovers.
This Sweet Potato, Kale and Farro Salad is vegan and gluten-free, flavored with a delicious citrus vinaigrette dressing, made with apple cider, olive oil and fresh orange juice. These simple flavors combined add a delicious zest to this super healthy salad.
To learn more about the Health Benefits of Kale, my friend Helen from Well-Being Secrets wrote a thorough article about this SUPER-GREEN with 23 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Kale. Check it out!
Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp vegetable base
- 1 bunch fresh kale
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Dressing
- 2 tbsp apple cider
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
Farro
- Bring water to a boil, add farro and vegetable base. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes in medium-low heat.
Sweet Potato
- Peel and cut the sweet potato into small cubes. Add to the steamer and cook for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
Kale
- While the farro and sweet potato are cooking, trim the kale and rinse thoroughly. Place on a large paper towel, massage the leaves dry for a couple minutes, than chop the leaves into small, manageable pieces.
Dressing
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a small glass bowl that has a fitted top. You may add as much or as little dressing into the salad as you like. I almost always leave the dressing on the side, this way the salad stays fresher longer.
Salad
- Combine the farro, kale and sweet potato in a large glass bowl. Add dried cranberries and fresh cilantro. Carefully fold the ingredients to combine. Either add the dressing as you mix the salad or serve it on the side
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Here is a Roasted Chicken Farro recipe I thought you would like !
In for something …. lighter ? Gotcha! Try this Kale Salad with Sweet and Creamy Dressing !
What is vegetable base? Vegetable broth?
Hi Kathy, it is the same thing. I use the vegetable base “paste” from the brand Better Then Bouillon which is organic and Vegan. Mix in water to create the vegetable broth. I also like this vegetable base for it’s convenient size.
When making the dressing, do you use apple cider? Or apple cider vinegar?
sorry for the delay Craig, I use apple cider vinegar!