Warm Farro Salad with Italian Sausage, Blistered Tomatoes, & Kale

A yellow bowl filled with farro salad, kale, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausage, and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese. Two wooden serving spoons rest inside the bowl. Lemon wedges and a small bowl of salt are nearby.

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Warm Farro Salad with Italian Sausage, Blistered Tomatoes, & Kale

This is the grain salad I make when I want dinner in one bowl and I don't want to think about it. Chewy farro, cherry tomatoes blistered until they burst, Italian sausage, and thin ribbons of kale—all tossed together while everything's still warm so the dressing sinks right in. Good hot, good at room temp, and honestly great cold from the fridge the next day.

Prep15

Cook40

Total55

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Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: blistered cherry tomatoes, chef-tested salad, farro slad with sausage, restaurant-worthy salad

Servings: servings

Calories: 527kcal

Author: Ari Laing

Equipment

Medium saucepan

Fine-mesh strainer or colander

Rimmed baking sheet

Parchment paper

Large skillet (a lid or splatter guard helps with the tomatoes)

Small bowl or jar

Whisk

Large serving bowl

Vegetable peeler or microplane

Ingredients

For the Salad

1½ cups (280g) farro, semi-pearled or whole farro
Kosher salt
1 lb (450g) mild Italian chicken sausage (about 4 links)
2 pints (600g) heirloom cherry or grape tomatoes
2 Tbsp (20ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large shallot, thinly sliced into half moons
1 bunch lacinato Tuscan kale, stems removed, leaves very thinly sliced
½ cup (55g) slivered almonds
3 large scallions, very thinly sliced
A few handfuls fresh basil torn or left whole
½ medium lemon, juiced, about 20ml
⅓ cup (30g) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Flaky sea salt

For the Dressing

3 Tbsp (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp (30ml) aged balsamic vinegar
2 tsp (10ml) Dijon or whole-grain mustard
1 tsp (5ml) honey
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook the farro. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Add 1½ cups (280g) farro, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender with a little chew, 35-40 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer.
Roast the sausage. Roast the sausages on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice on the diagonal into thin rounds. (Short on pans, or want more flavor? See the notes for a one-skillet method.)
Wilt the kale. Transfer the warm farro to a large serving bowl, add the kale, and toss. The residual heat will soften it just slightly. Set aside.
Blister the tomatoes. Warm 2 Tbsp (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes with a pinch of kosher salt and cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes, then toss occasionally. The tomatoes should blister and mostly burst. Add thinly sliced shallot and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes more. Add this directly to the farro and kale, along with any pan juices.

Tip: If you have a splatter guard, use it while cooking the tomatoes to avoid oil getting everywhere!

Prep the almonds. Add ½ cup (55g) almonds as is, or for a little more depth, toast them in a dry skillet over medium until golden and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

I only do this when I feel like cleaning one more dish. 😂 It’s still delicious without toasting the almonds.

Make the dressing. Whisk together the 3 Tbsp (45ml) olive oil, 2 Tbsp (30ml) balsamic, 2 tsp (10ml) Dijon, 1 tsp (5ml) honey, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper until emulsified.
Combine. To the farro and kale, add sausage, scallions, almonds, and fresh basil. Squeeze over the lemon. Pour on the dressing and toss really well.
Finish. Add ⅓ cup (30g) shaved Parmigiano and toss again. Taste and adjust (more lemon, salt, pepper, etc.). Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt (and a little extra Parmigiano if you like!). Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition facts assume 6 servings.
Want more flavor from one pan? Instead of roasting, remove the sausage from its casing and cook it crumbled in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it up as you go. Transfer to a bowl, then blister the tomatoes right in the same pan. All those browned bits left behind season the tomatoes. It’s a little more hands-on, but you’re left with a deeper, more savory result.

Nutrition

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