“My inspiration for this recipe was a soup my mom makes. My sister and I adore this soup,” says Evie. “So, I decided to make a version of the soup as a salad that would be easier to take to school in a lunchbox. I was also inspired by the local farmer's market here in Knoxville, TN. The farmer's market has food trucks, pastries, vegetables, meat, and more! I love the salad by itself, but it would also be tasty with my dad's grilled salmon.” - Evie Braude, Age 9, Tennessee

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 1 ½ cups farro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch dinosaur kale or your favorite variety of kale, stems removed and leaves sliced into strips
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 green onions (scallions), white and light green parts only, chopped
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• ¾ ounce fresh mint, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 ounces shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese

For the Buttermilk Dressing:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: 

1. To make the Salad: In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the kale and cook for about 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the celery, green onions, tomatoes, white beans, and mint and cook for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
3. To make the Buttermilk Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix well. Top with Parmesan cheese.  

611 calories; 19g fat; 83g carbohydrates; 31g protein

Learn more:

• Check out highlights from the each Kids’ “State Dinner”
• View the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” Cookbook