Whole Wheat Orzo Salad with Kale, Chickpeas, Lemon, and Feta

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat orzo, cooked according to package directions and drained well
• Salt for pasta cooking water
• 4 cups fresh kale, chopped
• 1 tsp. olive oil, for pan used to wilt the kale
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained well
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 3/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
• Zest and juice of one large lemon
• 2 T white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a boil. Salt the water generously, then cook the orzo as directed on the package, watching closely so it stays tender rather than mushy. Pour it into a fine-mesh colander to drain, and set it aside to cool while you get everything else ready.
2. For curly kale, strip the leaves from the stems and chop them into rough pieces. If the kale needs washing, use a salad spinner and dry it well.
3. Warm the tsp. of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add all the kale at once and toss it just until it softens, no longer than 1-2 minutes. Transfer the kale right away to a mixing bowl big enough for the finished salad. If you are using Earthbound Farm Ready-to-use Organic Mixed Baby Kales, simply chop it roughly and add it to the salad without cooking it first.
4. Set a colander in the sink and pour in the garbanzo beans. Rinse them under cold water until the foaming stops, then leave them to drain until they are quite dry. If they still seem wet, pat them with paper towels.
5. Dice half a red onion finely, and break up enough Feta for 3/4 cup.
6. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, white balsamic vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to finish the dressing.
7. Once the orzo is cool, spoon it into the bowl with the kale.
8. Add the garbanzo beans and the finely diced red onion, then fold everything together gently.
9. Spoon in the dressing gradually, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring carefully until the salad is coated. You will likely have some dressing left over.
10. Fold in the crumbled Feta gently, then serve.
11. The salad was not especially good after being held overnight in the refrigerator.
12. For a later batch, keep the cooked orzo, dry garbanzo beans, chopped onion, crumbled Feta, and remaining dressing in separate containers.
13. When you are ready to assemble the next salad, quickly wilt the remaining kale and combine the components.