About this Recipe

By: Rachel

Farro is one of my favorite grains. It has a pleasant, chewy texture, and adding it to light dishes like salads makes it more substantial and filling. With seasonal ingredients like butternut squash and pomegranate, this Fall Farro Salad is perfect for any fall celebration, including Thanksgiving and Sukkot.

Creating the Perfect Fall Salad

I wanted to create an easy farro salad that just tasted like fall. Warm, filling farro was the perfect base. Roasted butternut squash is a great seasonal ingredient, and I intended it to remain in chunks. When I becan to combine the salad, though, it broke down completely. I dressed and served it anyway, and everyone fell in love with the creamy texture.

The earthy flavors of farro and squash are balanced by the brightness of lemon zest and juice, along with tart pomegranate seeds, which punctuate this salad like juicy little jewels. Parsley completes this salad with a fresh, herbal note.

Celebrating the Harvest with Fall Farro Salad

Fall festivals like Thanksgiving and Sukkot celebrate the harvest with delicious, seasonal dishes. One of the reasons why I love this farro salad is the way that it features fall produce like butternut squash and pomegranate. This farro salad would be welcome on any fall celebration table—and it doesn’t hurt that it just happens to be suitable for both vegetarians and vegans!

I love serving this salad alongside other vegetable-forward, warming fall dishes: Leek and Potato Soup, Sorrel and Fig Salad, and Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Lemon-Mint Yogurt are all ideal choices.

Beverage Pairing

By: Olivia

This tart, herbal, sweet, and earthy fall salad can pair with so many wines! A light red wine, like Pinot Noir, the Italian Schiava, or the Austrian Zweigelt would be spectacular. You could even grab a rosé of any of those grapes. These fall flavors would also pair well with richer white wines, so consider a bottle of orange wine from Italy, Georgia, or Slovenia. Finally, because all fall flavors adore cider, try a French cider.

Fall Farro Salad with Butternut Squash and Pomegranate

I am always looking for fall salad recipes. This one—with filling grains and earthy butternut squash punctuated by tart lemon and sweet pomegranate—is one of my favorites.

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Ready In 1 30

Meal Type Salad

Good For American, Vegetarian

Yield Servings

Equipment

Chef's Knife
Cutting board
Small sheet pan
Mixing bowls
Small silicone spatulas
Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (220g) whole-grain farro cooked according to cooking method on package, drained
1 small butternut squash acorn squash, or other winter squash
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210mL) olive oil divided
1 large shallot chopped
1 large lemon zest and juice
½ teaspoon white sugar
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
½ cup (30g) chopped Italian parsley
Seeds from 1 pomegranate

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

Step 2

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Step 3

Line a sheet pan with parchment, and drizzle the insides of the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the squash cut-side down, and roast until very soft and well-cooked, about one hour. (If you are short on time, many markets sell pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section.)

Step 4

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallot, and sauté until golden brown. Set aside.

Step 5

Next, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Step 6

Add the cooked farro to a mixing bowl. Scoop the cooked squash from its skin in spoonfuls, add to the farro, and stir well (it will break up and become creamy).
Add the vinaigrette, shallots, parsley, and pomegranate seeds, along with about ¼ teaspoon salt, and stir to combine.
Taste to correct seasoning, and serve warm.