Bringing on the fall veggies early this year with an easy roasted butternut squash farro salad. The ultimate fall comfort veggie paired with brussels sprouts, olives, pistachios, and a tangy, sweet lemon-date dressing.
Something about roasted veggies just makes me feel some kind of way. I roast veggies year-round, but as soon as fall hits, you know it’s time to go overboard with the butternut squash and brussels sprouts.
I was going for a Moroccan vibe when choosing the ingredients for this butternut squash farro salad, but as someone who doesn’t know much about Moroccan cuisine, I can’t tell you whether I succeeded. If there’s one thing I did succeed in though, it’s the art of making a fun, vibrant salad that nourishes the body and soul.
The Rundown
1. Cook the farro to package instructions with some garlic cloves, a bay leaf, and salt for the flavor. Farro comes in different varieties; there’s the whole grain version and various pearled versions. Cooking time varies based on what you have. I wasn’t sure what I had beforehand, but it ended up taking about 35 minutes on medium heat. I used this link to figure it out.
2. Roast your veggies! This took about 25-30 minutes, so I got it going right after I started the farro.
3. Blend a dressing. Lemon juice, olive oil, dates, garlic, and nothing complicated.
4. Build the bowl. Add greens, olives, pistachios, and avocado.
Roasted Butternut Squash Farro Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry farro (1 cup cooked) optional: cook with 2 garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf
- ½ butternut squash
- 7 brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup kale or green of choice
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- ½ avocado
- crushed pistachios
Lemon-Date Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 noor deglet dates
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Cook farro to package instructions or use the link under "The Rundown" to figure out what to do. Add 2 garlic cloves and a bay leaf if you want.
- Preheat oven to 400 and soak two dates in cold water.
- Toss cubed butternut squash and halved brussels sprouts with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and garlic. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Squeeze excess water from the dates and blend with the other dressing ingredients (lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic) in a small food processor.
- Start with farro and greens in a bowl. Then add avocado, olives, and roasted vegetables. Toss together. Then add pistachios and the dressing.
If you like this, you may also enjoy these salads:
Indian-Mexican Street Corn Salad
Watermelon, Fig, and Mozzarella Salad
