Herbed Sardine and Kale Farro Plate with Roasted Beets
An unfussy weeknight dinner: tender farro tossed with massaged kale, sweet roasted beets, and lemon-dressed sardines, finished with parsley and a scatter of walnuts.
Why it works
Sardines are about as efficient a whole-food source of long-chain omega-3 as it gets, EPA and DHA both, plus vitamin D and selenium, all of it supporting the membrane health and antioxidant defenses of eggs and sperm alike. Kale and beets bring folate, nitrates, and betalain antioxidants to the plate. Farro keeps the glycemic load moderate. Put it together and you've mirrored the whole-grain, oily-fish, produce-forward Mediterranean pattern that gets favored for preconception, for good reason.
Built on the Mediterranean pattern, plus oily-fish omega-3 evidence tied to reproductive and cardiovascular health in cohort studies. Small oily fish like sardines get favored here too, since they carry less mercury than the big predatory ones. These findings are associational and general, not a personalized prescription. If you're already pregnant or trying, review your fish intake with a clinician.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry farro
- 2 tins sardines in olive oil, about 4.4 ounces each, drained
- 4 cups curly kale, stemmed and torn
- 2 medium beets, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup walnut halves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 400 F, toss the diced beets with a teaspoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast for about 25 minutes until tender.
- Simmer the farro in salted water for 20 minutes until chewy-tender, then drain.
- Massage the torn kale with 1 tablespoon olive oil, half the lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until softened and glossy.
- Whisk the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and grated garlic into a light dressing.
- Toss the warm farro with the massaged kale and roasted beets, then plate and season with pepper.
- Lay the drained sardines over the top, spoon the lemon dressing across, and finish with parsley and chopped walnuts.
