Description
A wholesome and flavorful Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables, combining tender roasted butternut squash, carrots, and red onion with nutty farro, fresh baby spinach, tangy lemon dressing, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and sweet dried cranberries. Perfect as a nutritious main or side dish, served warm or chilled.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Vegetables:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dash sea salt
- 1 dash ground black pepper
Farro:
- 1 cup farro
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
Salad:
- 1/2 bag (5 oz) baby spinach
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- Sea salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Vegetables: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, toss cubed butternut squash, sliced carrots, and red onion wedges with olive oil, dried rosemary, and minced garlic. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Roast Vegetables: Spread the seasoned vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 55 minutes until they are tender and lightly browned. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large mixing bowl once done.
- Cook Farro: While the vegetables roast, bring vegetable broth and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the farro, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes until tender. Drain any excess liquid if necessary.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add the cooked farro to the bowl with roasted vegetables. While still warm, stir in baby spinach so it wilts slightly. Then incorporate lemon juice, lemon zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, crumbled goat cheese, chopped pistachios, and dried cranberries. Season with additional sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve the salad warm or chilled according to preference.
Notes
- Salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezes well in an airtight container; thaw in the fridge overnight or microwave covered until warm before serving.
- For garlic, you may use fresh minced cloves or substitute garlic powder as preferred.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, especially when using salted nuts or cheese.
- To speed up farro cooking, soak farro in water for an hour before cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg
