This roasted butternut squash-farro salad with tart cranberries, arugula, and pepitas tossed with a maple-dijon dressing is the proper comforting aspect. Each chew is tangy, candy, and scrumptious.

This roasted butternut squash-farro salad is the proper winter salad. With hearty farro, tender squash, and pops of sweetness from dried cranberries, it’s a comforting but refreshing recipe that feels excellent for the season. The garlicky maple-Dijon dressing provides a comfy contact too. Whether or not it’s a festive gathering or a quiet night time at dwelling, this salad is your go-to for a straightforward, festive aspect dish.

Why I Love This Farro Salad

This tossed farro salad with fruity and nutty add-ins will get a gold star out of your friends this vacation season.

• A veggie choice. Don’t fear in the event you’re anticipating vegetarian/vegan family and friends over for dinner! This aspect dish recipe works for both.
• Hearty. A lot of fluffy farro, butternut squash, and nutty pepitas will enable you refill on healthful substances.
• Candy-and-savory. Cranberries within the salad and maple syrup within the dressing add a lot of sweetness, whereas balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard add tang and savoriness.
• Prep-friendly. Beat the vacation cooking craze by getting a head-start on roasting the butternut squash and cooking the farro.

What You’ll Want

Smokey maple-Dijon dressing with herby thyme helps steadiness the salad’s pure sweetness. Should you scroll to the underside of the publish you’ll discover the complete recipe card with actual ingredient quantities.

For the Salad

• Butternut squash – Ensure that it’s peeled.
• Olive oil – Avocado, coconut, and vegetable oil work too.
• Recent thyme – Dried thyme or rosemary are good swaps.
• Salt and pepper – I choose kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Farro – Rinse and pressure it effectively earlier than cooking to take away any mud or small particles.
• Water – You may also use low-sodium veggie broth.
• Dried cranberries – Be at liberty to make use of dried blueberries or golden raisins.
• Pepitas – Toasted sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pecans are positive as effectively.
• Recent arugula – Swap it for child spinach or skip it.

For the Dressing

• Dijon mustard – Dijonnaise doesn’t work for this as a result of it’s creamy, however you should utilize stone-ground mustard as an alternative.
• Maple syrup – Agave nectar and uncooked honey are nice substitutes.
• Balsamic vinegar – Scale back the quantity by half if you wish to use my Balsamic Discount.
• Garlic – Recent garlic and garlic paste are greatest. It must be not less than 1/2 tablespoon.
• Recent thyme – Dried thyme works too.

What’s Farro?

Farro is an historic wheat grain that’s very talked-about in Mediterranean delicacies. There are three varieties or species: einkorn, emmer, and spelt. When dried and uncooked, it seems like a cross between brown rice and old style oats. As soon as cooked, it’s fluffy, chewy, and has a nutty taste. It’s typically added to salads, soups, stews, or pilafs.

The way to Make Fall Farro Salad

Right here’s a fast breakdown of this 5-step farro salad with home made maple-Dijon dressing. For the complete recipe card please scroll to the underside of the publish.

• Prep the farro. Rinse the farro below chilly water. Carry water to a boil in a small pot over medium-high warmth. Scale back it to a simmer and let it prepare dinner for 30-40 minutes or till tender. Drain any extra water. Take away it from the warmth and set it apart to chill in a big serving bowl.
• Toss the squash. Add the butternut squash, olive oil, salt, and 1 teaspoon thyme to a small bowl. Toss gently till fully coated. Unfold it out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Roast it. Preheat the oven to 425F. Roast the squash for quarter-hour, stir it, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Take away it from the oven and set it apart.
• Make the dressing. Whisk the entire dressing substances in a small bowl and whisk till fully easy.
• Assemble it. High the farro with roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pepitas, arugula, and maple-Dijon dressing. Toss gently till well-combined. Serve and revel in!

Ideas and Variation Concepts

So long as the butternut squash is roasted correctly, this easy farro salad is tremendous easy. You’ll additionally love that it’s simply spiced up with salty feta, earthy wild rice, or candy pears.

• Make it tacky. Sprinkle 1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, or freshly grated parmesan cheese on high for savory tacky goodness.
• Flip it right into a grain medley. Combine 1 cup cooked wild rice and 1 cup tri-color quinoa into the salad for an additional filling aspect dish.
• Extra fruits. Including 1/2 cup sliced dried figs, chopped dried apricots, or diced pear to the salad will enhance its pure sweetness and fruitiness.
• Swap the farro. Should you’re not a fan of farro, this recipe may be ready with quinoa or millet for a straightforward variation. The flavour will likely be barely nuttier however simply as yummy.
• Prep forward. Prepare dinner the farro and roast the butternut squash 1-2 days upfront so that you solely have to toss the salad proper earlier than your friends arrive.
• Add protein. Shred leftover rotisserie hen or turkey and toss it with the salad for a heartier salad. 1-3 cups must be sufficient.
• Watch the cuts. The butternut squash must be diced into 1/4-1/2″ items. If some items are bigger than others, it’ll roast inconsistently. Hold every little thing the identical dimension in order that it’s correctly cooked.
• Use store-bought. Should you don’t have time to make the dressing or don’t need to, use your favourite maple-Dijon store-bought dressing.

What Goes With Farro Salad?

This hearty farro salad is a straightforward aspect in your upcoming vacation dinners. I really like serving it with my Garlic Herb Turkey Breast, Dry Brine Turkey, or Pomegranate Maple Glazed Ham. For aspect concepts, strive my Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Stuffed Butternut Squash, or Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes. My Cranberry Sausage Stuffing and Twice Baked Candy Potatoes with Streusel are different traditional sides.

The way to Retailer

Protecting the dressing separate from the remainder of the salad retains the farro and arugula from absorbing extra moisture.

• Fridge: Retailer the farro, butternut squash, arugula, and dressing in separate hermetic containers. The farro and squash will last as long as 5 days. The arugula for 4 days and the dressing for 7 days.
• To reheat it: You solely have to reheat the farro and butternut squash. Microwave them in 20-second increments till heat. You may also use a medium-sized pan over medium-high warmth for 7-8 minutes.

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