farro salad with butternut squash,cranberries and spinach

Last week, I bought a bag of farro to make this recipe – which I love. Having extra farro on hand, I started to think of other salad ideas, since it makes for a tasty, healthy lunch. I had spinach left over from something else, and decided to add in roasted butternut squash, some dried cranberries, and a nice balsamic dressing with a hint of thyme. I considered adding feta or a crumbled blue cheese, but decided that the salad really did not need it, as there was already a lot of great flavor – the sweetness of the roasted squash paired with the tang of the cranberries was especially nice. I have provided rough measurements below, but you can really adjust this to your personal taste! The best part – everything comes together in less than half an hour, and makes enough for a couple of lunches.

Farro with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Cranberries

1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch slices

Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove, let cool, and roughly chop about half the squash. Reserve the rest for another use (like butternut squash risotto).

Cook ¾ cup of farro in 1 ½ cups water for about 25 minutes, until farro is cooked and the water has been absorbed.

Whisk together about 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, seasoning with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. Add in 1/8 cup dried cranberries. Let cranberries soak for 5-10 minutes.

Add in cooked farro, roasted squash, fresh spinach – a handful or two – and mix to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Enjoy!

- e