Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

This healthy and delicious salad is filled with roasted butternut squash and carrots combined with garlicky spinach and farro then tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. It’s the perfect fall salad to serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian main dish.  

I love this time of year because I can roast veggies! It’s my favorite way to cook vegetables because it’s easy, it makes them sweetened and so flavorful, and it also makes my house smell amazing. I saw this salad on Dietician Debbie Dishes and couldn’t wait to make it. My husband and I both love farro in our salads and since we’ve been trying to eat healthier, this recipe sounded perfect for us. I loved the combination of flavors and textures in this salad with the tender roasted veggies, crunchy pistachio nuts, tart dried cranberries, and salty cheese tossed with the farro and spinach. Topping this wonderful salad with the lemon vinaigrette makes it extra special and so delicious. I served this warm farro salad with roasted root vegetables with some roasted chicken and they paired nicely together.  I think I may serve this recipe as a side dish for Thanksgiving this year.

How to Make a Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Roast the vegetables by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

Toss the butternut squash, carrots, and red onion together on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Toss to coat evenly. Place into the oven to roast for 30 minutes, tossing them halfway through the cooking time, or until they are tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and set aside until needed.

Cook the farro in the vegetable broth per package instructions; drain and set aside until needed.

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; set aside to allow flavors to mingle.

Make the salad by heating the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add the baby spinach and cook, tossing constantly, for 1 minute. Add the drained farro and roasted vegetables then drizzle some of the well-whisked vinaigrette, to taste; gently toss to coat well. Pour into a serving bowl and top with feta cheese, pistachios, dried cranberries, and parsley. Serve warm with any remaining vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy.

Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: 4

Author: Adapted by Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by Dietician Debbie Dishes

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Nonstick Skillet

Ingredients

Roasted Root Vegetables:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ butternut squash, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 carrots, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces
• ½ small red onion, cut into small wedges
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Farro:

• ½ cup farro
• 1½-2 cups Vegetable broth, per package instructions
• Sea salt, to taste

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• Juice & zest from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp fresh oregano, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 ½ oz baby spinach
• Feta cheese crumbles, to taste
• 2 tbsp pistachios
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Roast the vegetables by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. 
• Toss the butternut squash, carrots, and red onion together on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Toss to coat evenly.
• Place into the oven to roast for 30 minutes, tossing them halfway through the cooking time, or until they are tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and set aside until needed. 
• Cook the farro, while the veggies are roasting, in the salted vegetable broth per package instructions; drain and set aside until needed. 
• Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the lemon juice & zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; set aside to allow flavors to mingle. 
• Make the salad by heating the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add the baby spinach and cook, tossing constantly, for 1 minute.
• Add the drained farro and roasted vegetables then drizzle some of the well-whisked vinaigrette, to taste; gently toss to coat well.
• Pour into a serving bowl and top with feta cheese, pistachios, dried cranberries, and parsley. Serve warm with any remaining vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy.

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