Description
Can salad be comfort food? Packed with nutrient-rich vegetables and grains, this nourishing salad is colorful, hearty, and brimming with sweet and savory fall flavors.
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked farro*
1 cup apple cider
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
pinch of salt
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup beets, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TB olive oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 cups fresh arugula, roughly chopped
2 TB pine nuts, toasted
2 TB pomegranate seeds
VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove roasted garlic (from roasted vegetables, above)
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Sprinkle foil with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine diced squash, parsnips, and garlic clove. Drizzle with 1 TB olive oil and coat thoroughly. Arrange in a single layer on one-half of the baking sheet. Using the same bowl, repeat the process with the beets (we do this separately so everything isn’t stained pink). Sprinkle all the vegetables with salt & pepper and roast for 25-30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and edges are beginning to caramelize. Remove the garlic clove and reserve it for use in the vinaigrette.
While the vegetables are roasting, cook the farro. In a medium saucepan, combine farro, cider, broth, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook according to the directions on the package (10-40 minutes, depending on whether the farro is “quick” or pearled). Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the vinaigrette: in a blender or food processor, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, roasted garlic clove, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper. Blitz until fully pureed and emulsified.
Stir the vinaigrette into the farro, ensuring that it’s distributed evenly. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Gently fold in roasted vegetables and chopped arugula. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.
Serve at room temperature as an entree salad or hearty side dish. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a day or two (the salad tastes best if brought back to room temperature before serving).
Notes
… *pay attention to which kind of farro you buy. Farro sold as “quick cooking” absorbs liquid much faster than the regular pearled or semi-pearled varieties, so adjust your cooking time according to the directions on your package.
… I learned a brilliant trick from Ina Garten: cut beets on a piece of parchment paper. It makes cleanup easy and won’t stain the bejesus out of your cutting board or counters. I take the added measure of wearing plastic gloves to protect my hands, but be careful if you do this, as they can be slippery!
… sprinkling the baking sheet with salt and pepper prior to roasting the vegetables ensures that they’re properly seasoned on both the bottom and the top.
