Description

This Farro Salad with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Feta combines chewy farro, roasted squash, tender kale, salty feta, and toasted pecans in a maple balsamic vinaigrette. Filling enough for lunch or a light dinner, it's equally good served warm or cold and holds up beautifully for leftovers.

Ingredients

Scale

For the farro salad:

277 g (1 1/3 cups) farro, rinsed and drained
4 cups (32 fl oz) water for stovetop, or 2 cups (16 fl oz) for Instant Pot
1 medium (about 500 g) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into ½-inch cubes (may substitute for honeynut or delicata)
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp dried dill
3/4 tsp Kosher salt, divided
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 bundle (about 4 oz) Lacinato (Italian) kale, deveined and chopped (may sub for curly)
3 oz (3/4 cup) pecans
6 oz (about 1 cup) feta cheese (block style in brine), drained and crumbled

For the vinaigrette:

2 oz (1/4 cup) olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 cloves of garlic, minced, or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

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Instructions

Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 205 C. Line a baker's half sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Cook the farro using either method:Stovetop: In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the farro and 4 cups water to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender but pleasantly chewy. Drain off any excess water.Instant Pot: Add the farro and 2 cups water to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and set the pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 7 minutes before carefully releasing any remaining pressure. Open the lid, fluff the farro with a fork, and drain off any excess water.
Roast the butternut squash. While the farro cooks, add the diced butternut squash to the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the dried dill, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Toss until evenly coated, then roast for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and fork-tender.
Massage the kale. While the butternut squash roasts, add the chopped kale, remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt to a large serving bowl. Massage the kale by hand, gently kneading and squeezing the leaves for about 2 minutes. The kale should decrease substantially in volume, darken in color, and become tender. Set aside.
Prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
Toast the pecans. Once the butternut squash is finished roasting, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F / 175 C. Transfer the roasted squash to the bowl with the kale. Spread the pecans onto the same baking sheet and roast for 5–8 minutes, or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
Assemble the salad. Add the cooked farro to the bowl with the kale and roasted butternut squash, followed by the maple balsamic vinaigrette, toasted pecans, and crumbled feta. Toss gently until everything is well combined. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

This recipe was developed using Bob's Red Mill Organic Farro. Cooking times may vary depending on the brand and whether the farro is pearled, semi-pearled, or whole.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 523
Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 733 mg
Fat: 32 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 50 g
Fiber: 9 g
Protein: 12 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg