Recipe Background
What makes the Cozy Winter Salad just gosh darn comforting and delicious? The warm, nutty farro base, for a start. The sweet and caramelized butternut squash, for another. The tangy and creamy dressing with wintry spices, for a third. And delicious goodies like cranberries and goat cheese just round out the happiness. The cold is a thing of the past with Cozy Winter Salad!
What makes the Cozy Winter Salad just gosh darn comforting and delicious? The warm, nutty farro base, for a start. The sweet and caramelized butternut squash, for another. The tangy and creamy dressing with wintry spices, for a third. And delicious goodies like cranberries and goat cheese just round out the happiness. The cold is a thing of the past with Cozy Winter Salad!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 cups butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup whole pecans
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cups farro cooked
- 1 cup dried cranberries or tart cherries
- 3 ounces goat cheese crumbled
For the cranberry-cinnamon vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cranberry juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley optional, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a baking sheet, add the squash and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and toss to coat.
- Season the squash with the extra salt and the extra black pepper.
- Roast the squash until slightly caramelized and fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
- In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the pecans and the maple syrup and cook, while stirring often, until pecans are coated and lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the coated pecans to a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the farro, the roasted squash, the cranberries, the goat cheese, and the coated pecans.
- Taste the farro mixture for seasoning and add the extra salt and the extra black pepper, as needed.
- In a bowl, add the vinegar, the cranberry juice, the honey, the mustard, the garlic, the cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of the remaining salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the remaining black pepper and whisk to combine.
- While whisking constantly, slowly stream the remaining olive oil into the vinegar mixture and continue to whisk until emulsified.
- Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
- Serve garnished with the parsley.
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