Harvest Grain Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

This Thanksgiving side uses chewy farro as the base for roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, with pepitas for crunch and a pomegranate vinaigrette that keeps the salad bright against richer dishes.

By Julienne

Cook time: 25 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 30 ml olive oil divided
• 4 g fine salt divided
• 1 g black pepper divided
• 1 g ground cinnamon for roasting vegetables
• 450 g butternut squash peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 350 g Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
• 300 g pearled farro rinsed
• 1200 ml water for cooking farro
• 10 g fine salt divided
• 60 ml pomegranate juice for vinaigrette
• 30 ml red wine vinegar for vinaigrette
• 15 g Dijon mustard for vinaigrette
• 20 ml maple syrup for vinaigrette
• 1 clove garlic finely grated
• 15 ml olive oil divided
• 1 g black pepper divided
• 15 g flat-leaf parsley chopped
• 50 g dried cranberries optional garnish mixed in
• 40 g pepitas toasted

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a large rimmed baking sheet. In a bowl, toss the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with 30 ml olive oil, 4 g salt, 1 g black pepper, and the cinnamon. Spread on the sheet in a single layer. Vegetables are evenly coated and spread out without crowding.
2. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the squash is tender and browned at the edges and the Brussels sprouts are deeply caramelized. Squash is fork-tender and vegetables have browned edges.
3. While the vegetables roast, combine the farro, water, and 10 g salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover partially, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the farro is chewy-tender but not mushy. Drain well if any water remains, then let it steam-dry for 2 minutes. Farro is tender with a pleasant chew and the pot is not watery.
4. Whisk the pomegranate juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, remaining 15 ml olive oil, and remaining 1 g black pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified. Dressing looks glossy and lightly thickened.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm farro, roasted vegetables, parsley, dried cranberries if using, and most of the dressing. Toss until evenly coated, then adjust with the remaining dressing and a pinch more salt only if needed. Everything is coated and the salad tastes balanced, bright, and seasoned.
6. Fold in the pepitas, transfer to a serving bowl, and serve warm or at room temperature. Pepitas stay crunchy and the salad is ready to serve.