Roasted Butternut Farro Salad

This hearty, healthy Butternut Farro Salad includes roasted grapes and lots of fresh herbs. It makes an incredibly delicious side for grilled or roasted entrees and a lovely light meal for fall and winter!

"I don't like butternut squash", our little grandson, Hayes (4 years old) said as we were ready to sit down for dinner. "You only have to try a little bit of Gigi's (that's me) Roasted Butternut Farro Salad", replied Lindsay, his mom. I said, "I think you'll really like it. To me, that butternut squash is like candy".

Less than a minute later Hayes yells from the porch where he and his sister are eating. "I really like this salad!" Haha! It seems that everyone who tries this salad "Really likes it". I've had lots of compliments as friends and family take the first bite of this hearty, healthy, jewel-toned salad.

Honestly, I've been dreaming up this salad recipe for weeks now and, although it probably wasn't legal yet, I actually made it a few times during the last few weeks of August. No one that I served it to seemed to mind, but when the calendar turned over to September, I knew it was time to introduce this delicious salad to you. So here it is, tada! Roasted Butternut Farro Salad.

What is farro?

Farro (pronounced like this) is (according to healthline.com) an ancient grain that's been around for thousands of years. Its name is Italian and means "ancient wheat grain". Farro is a nutrient powerhouse and an excellent source of protein, fiber and nutrients like magnesium, zinc and B vitamins, making it a healthy alternative to white rice and other refined grains.

There are actually three species of farro, but the kind that's most popular here in the United States is from the emmer grain. In other parts of the world, farro comes from the spelt and einkorn grains. I've actually tried all three of these types of farro and the flavor and texture is very similar.

It's important though to cook farro according to the package directions or, if you're purchasing it in bulk, to know which variety of farro you're buying so that you can cook it the proper amount of time.

I really like to keep several bags of quick-cooking farro (aka pearled farro) in my pantry which takes right around 10 minutes to cook. Regular farro (semi-pearled or whole grain) needs anywhere from 30-40 minutes. I've found quick-cooking farro at Trader Joes, Whole Foods and a few other local stores. The Trader Joes farro is called 10 Minute Farro, where Whole Food's pearled farro is labeled Organic Italian Farro. Both can also be purchased on Amazon.

How to cook farro?

Farro can be a little tricky to get just right with it sometimes being too chewy, sometimes too hard, sometimes just plain old soggy. But I read an article a few years ago over at Bon Appetit which gave me a foolproof way to cook farro that comes out perfect every time! They call it "the pasta method" and it involves cooking it in lots of liquid, just like you do with pasta. When it's done your liking simply drain it and voila! Perfect farro!

So check the package directions for approximate timing and set your timer for 5 minutes less. Cook the farro in lots of boiling liquid and when the timer goes off, start taking a little taste. If it's not quite done, give it a few more minutes and taste again. Repeat until the farro is perfectly cooked (al dente or to your liking) then drain well and you're all set to make this Roasted Butternut Farro Salad!

A delicious way to cook farro

Last year, my sister, Annie, introduced me to Charlie Bird's Farro Salad. It's a delicious recipe that includes farro that's cooked with apple cider and bay leaves. The flavor is fantastic and I've adopted this little trick when I cook my farro. I also add chicken broth along with the cider so there's plenty of liquid to cook the farro "pasta-style" as mentioned above.

Like candy

In addition to farro, there's a delicious combination of roasted butternut squash, roasted red grapes and lots of fresh basil and mint in this Roasted Butternut Farro Salad. You've probably done roasted butternut squash before but roasted grapes? Yes, so delicious! They're tossed with a bit of olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sugar before being popped in a hot oven. The grapes don't take long and come out glistening, sweet and bursting with flavor. To me, both the golden-roasted butternut squash and the fabulous grapes are "like candy".

Put this Roasted Butternut Farro Salad on your fall "must make" list. You, along with your family, friends, guests (even grandchildren) will be so happy you did!

Café Tips for making this Roasted Butternut Squash Farro Salad

• If you're in a hurry many grocery stores carry butternut squash that's already peeled and diced. Just be sure to check the date on the package as the shelf life on this convenience item isn't very long.
• To make cutting and peeling a butternut squash a little easier, I like to poke a few holes in it with a fork, then microwave for 1-2 minutes, depending on the size. It softens the squash slightly and makes it easier to deal with.
• Once my squash is peeled, I cut it in half crosswise right where it begins to narrow. You can then scoop out the seeds (I use an ice cream scoop), slice the rest of the squash width-wise and dice as desired.
• I almost always use my Vidalia Chop Wizard to dice my butternut squash once it's peeled and sliced. It makes dicing an entire squash a breeze and the see-through bottom tray is also a measuring cup so it's easy to tell when you have the right amount. It's also great for chopping potatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, apples, carrots...
• In the pictures above, I've combined half of the grapes and butternut squash in with the farro and herbs and reserved the remainder for the top of the salad. You can also combine all of the roasted grapes and squash in with the farro and then garnish with the pistachios and fresh herbs on top.
• Don't skip the fresh herbs. They add a lovely balance of flavor with the slightly sweet farro.
• It takes a lot of chopped herbs to make a half cup so, if you don't have basil and mint growing in your garden, be sure to purchase enough. If your grocery has the live basil plants, I think it's more economical to purchase one of those.

If you enjoy farro, check out this Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Farro! So... good!

Thought for the day:

Because of the Lord’s great love
we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22&23

What we're listening to for inspiration:

My Redeemer is Faithful and True

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.

5 from 1 vote

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Roasted Butternut Farro Salad

This hearty, healthy Butternut Farro Salad includes roasted grapes and lots of fresh herbs. It makes an incredibly delicious side for grilled or roasted entrees and a lovely light meal for fall and winter!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Main Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Roasted Butternut Farro Salad

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 23 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 8 mins

Servings: 10

Calories: 267 kcal

Ingredients

For the farro:

• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 medium-size bay leaves
• 1 cup pearled farro also called 10-minute farro

For the roasted butternut squash and grapes

• 3 cups peeled and diced ½-inch butternut squash, 1 medium-small squash
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups red seedless grapes
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

For the salad dressing:

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the salad:

• ½ cup Parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler, then roughly chopped
• ¼ cup roughly chopped pistachios
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the farro:

1. In a medium-size saucepan, bring apple cider, broth, water, salt and bay leaves to a boil. Slowly add the farro and reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cook until farro is tender, about 10 minutes then drain well. Let the farro cool, then discard the bay leaves.

2. For the roasted butternut squash and grapes:

3. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup.

4. Combine butternut squash, garlic salt and olive oil on the prepared sheet pan. Stir well to coat all of the squash with oil.

5. Roast in the middle of the oven until squash is fairly tender about 20 minutes.

6. While the squash is roasting, combine the grapes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Stir to gently.

7. After the squash has cooked for 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and push the squash down to one half of the sheet pan. Add the grapes to the other half. Roast for another 3-4 minutes, until grapes are glistening.

For the salad dressing:

1. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine olive oil and lemon juice. Screw on the lid and shake well.

For the salad:

1. Combine farro, parmesan, herbs and half of roasted grapes and squash in a large bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the dressing and stir gently to combine. Transfer to a serving platter, if desired. Top with remaining grapes and squash, pistachios and more parmesan, if desired. Serve extra dressing at the table.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed tips and instructions.

If you can’t find pearled farro, regular farro is fine. You’ll just need to cook it as long as the package indicates. You will probably need to add more water also as the farro cooks.

Yield: 8 servings

Calories 267kcal

Fat 14g

Saturated fat 3g

Cholesterol 3mg

Sodium 566mg

Potassium 394mg

Carbohydrates 32g

Fiber 5g

Sugar 9g

Protein 7g

Vitamin A 4549%

Vitamin C 12%

Calcium 98%

Iron 1%

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