Name: Middle Eastern Farro Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 bunch curly kale; olive oil; apple cider vinegar; sea salt; pepper; 1 cup lamb stew; 1/2 cup cooked farro; 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

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This recipe for Middle Eastern farro salad with lamb stew is made by combining three separate meals into one hearty, healthy, and delicious dinner! If you enjoy farro, you will love it in this massaged kale salad with lamb!

Middle Eastern Farro Salad in a green bowl

Because it is a versatile and healthy ancient grain, I mention farro pretty often on this site. As a result, many of you may already know how delicious farro salad is. I have recipes for Mediterranean Farro Salad with chicken thighs and Spring Farro Salad with eggs. This Middle Eastern farro salad with Instant Pot lamb stew is one of my favorite dishes and I hope that it will become one of yours too!

What is the best way to cook farro?

Without any question, the quickest and easiest way to cook farro is using an Instant Pot. Pressure cooking farro is a huge time saver but if you don’t own a pressure cooker, refer to my post, “How to Cook Farro” for other cooking options.

Should Middle Eastern Farro Salad be eaten warm or cold?

Generally speaking, farro salad is something you can enjoy either warm or cold. However, this Middle Eastern farro salad has Instant Pot lamb stew on top, which is definitely more enjoyable eaten warm.

One of the best features of this salad is that it is a fantastic make-ahead meal. What I mean is, most of the components of the dish are freezer friendly and easy to prepare in advance.

Farro freezes well, so make and freeze some to have on hand. All you will need to do is thaw it out and it is ready to use in your Middle Eastern farro salad.
Instant Pot lamb stew is also freezer friendly, although it really does taste best on the day it is made.
You can freeze pomegranate seeds (also known as pomegranate arils), too! If you do that, just be sure to place them in a flat layer on a baking sheet so that they don’t end up frozen together.
The Middle Eastern needs to be fresh and dry in order to be massaged, so freezing is not recommended.

What is massaged kale, anyway?

Massaged kale is simply a way to prepare kale, essentially to remove some of the bitterness. Massaging works for other dark, leafy greens as well.

Not only does massaging kale make it taste less bitter, but it also makes the texture slighter softer. As a result, your Middle Eastern farro salad will taste delicious and will be easier for your body to digest.

To massage kale, lightly sprinkle salt and oil over the leaves and gently massage/scrunch it in your hands.

How long will Middle Eastern farro salad stay fresh?

Like most salads, the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the more likely the kale is to become soggy. Because of this, it is best when eaten within 1 to 2 days. If you plan to keep some for a meal later in the week, it is best to keep the Instant Pot lamb stew in a separate container. As a result, you will be able to warm up the stew without first having to pick it out of the salad.