Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Squash. Chewy farro with roasted delicata squash, red onion, baby spinach and a maple-cider dressing. The formula and timing below are working estimates for a future kitchen trial, not a claim that a batch has been made.
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A warm grain side
Chewy farro and roasted delicata squash make a substantial winter salad with spinach, red onion and toasted pecans. The dressing is cider vinegar, olive oil and a little maple.
Six side portions are untested. Farro is wheat, so this is not a gluten-free salad.
Cook two components together
Start rinsed pearled farro in water according to its package while the squash and onion roast. A tender-chewy grain should be drained well rather than absorbing every cup of water.
Delicata half-moons are a different shape and roast behavior from butternut cubes. A fork-tender, lightly browned edge is the working vegetable endpoint.
Ingredients for 6 side portions
| Ingredient | Amount | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Dry pearled farro | 1 cup | Rinse; check package cooking time. |
| Water | 4 cups | Farro simmer; drain excess. |
| Delicata squash, seeded and cut into half-moons | 2 small squash | About 1 1/2 pounds total before trimming. |
| Red onion, cut into wedges | 1 medium | Roast. |
| Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting | 2 tablespoons | Roast vegetables. |
| Fine salt | 1/2 teaspoon | Roast and adjust. |
| Baby spinach | 3 cups | Toss warm to wilt slightly. |
| Toasted pecans, chopped | 1/2 cup | Finish. |
| Extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing | 3 tablespoons | Vinaigrette. |
| Apple cider vinegar | 2 tablespoons | Vinaigrette. |
| Pure maple syrup | 1 tablespoon | Vinaigrette. |
| Dijon mustard | 1 teaspoon | Vinaigrette. |
Step-by-step method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Rinse 1 cup dry pearled farro and simmer in 4 cups water according to package guidance, approximately 25–30 minutes until tender-chewy; drain well.
- While farro cooks, halve and seed two small delicata squash, cut thin half-moons and toss with one red onion in wedges, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast on a rimmed sheet approximately 25–30 minutes until squash is fork-tender and edges brown.
- Whisk the separate 3 tbsp olive oil with 2 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp Dijon. Toss warm drained farro with 3 cups baby spinach to wilt lightly, then fold in roasted squash and onion.
- Dress, scatter 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans and serve six provisional side portions. Record farro package time, squash yield, pecan distribution and actual salad volume in a trial.
Use warm farro to wilt spinach
Toss drained farro with three cups baby spinach before folding in vegetables. Residual warmth softens leaves without cooking them into a mush.
The Mediterranean Dish has a butternut-farro-kale-and-goat-cheese salad reference. This version uses delicata, spinach, pecans and its own dressing; it needs its own test.
Dress and finish
Whisk measured cider vinegar, maple and Dijon with olive oil. Add the dressing just before serving, then scatter pecans so they remain crisp.
If the first trial feels dry, record cooked farro volume and actual dressing uptake before increasing liquid.
Serving and holding
Divide into six warm side portions. No exact room-temperature buffet hold, refrigerated texture or reheating result has been established.
Pecans and farro are declared nut and wheat ingredients. The photograph should show half-moon squash rather than unrelated orange cubes.
Farro salad questions
Is farro gluten-free?
No. Farro is wheat.
Can I use a different squash?
That changes peeling, shape and roast time; test a measured variation separately.
When does spinach go in?
Toss it with warm drained farro to wilt it lightly before serving.
Further reading and related Chefly recipes: The Mediterranean Dish's butternut farro salad. These are relevant references and other dishes, not evidence that this proposed formula was tested.
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Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Squash. Category: Sides. 6 side portions. Prep approximately 20 minutes; cooking approximately 35 minutes; additional cooling/chilling approximately 0 minutes; total approximately 55 minutes excluding preheat. Not kitchen-tested; nutrition not calculated.
Ingredients: 1 cup Dry pearled farro; 4 cups Water; 2 small squash Delicata squash, seeded and cut into half-moons; 1 medium Red onion, cut into wedges; 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting; 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt; 3 cups Baby spinach; 1/2 cup Toasted pecans, chopped; 3 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing; 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon Pure maple syrup; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Instructions: Heat oven to 425°F. Rinse 1 cup dry pearled farro and simmer in 4 cups water according to package guidance, approximately 25–30 minutes until tender-chewy; drain well. While farro cooks, halve and seed two small delicata squash, cut thin half-moons and toss with one red onion in wedges, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast on a rimmed sheet approximately 25–30 minutes until squash is fork-tender and edges brown. Whisk the separate 3 tbsp olive oil with 2 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp Dijon. Toss warm drained farro with 3 cups baby spinach to wilt lightly, then fold in roasted squash and onion. Dress, scatter 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans and serve six provisional side portions. Record farro package time, squash yield, pecan distribution and actual salad volume in a trial.
Allergens: Wheat in farro; Pecan tree nuts; Check mustard and packaged ingredients. Review packaged ingredients and cross-contact before serving.
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Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Squash
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Six warm side portions of farro, delicata squash and spinach.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dry pearled farro
- 4 cups Water
- 2 small squash Delicata squash, seeded and cut into half-moons
- 1 medium Red onion, cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt
- 3 cups Baby spinach
- 1/2 cup Toasted pecans, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing
- 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Rinse 1 cup dry pearled farro and simmer in 4 cups water according to package guidance, approximately 25–30 minutes until tender-chewy; drain well.
- While farro cooks, halve and seed two small delicata squash, cut thin half-moons and toss with one red onion in wedges, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast on a rimmed sheet approximately 25–30 minutes until squash is fork-tender and edges brown.
- Whisk the separate 3 tbsp olive oil with 2 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp Dijon. Toss warm drained farro with 3 cups baby spinach to wilt lightly, then fold in roasted squash and onion.
- Dress, scatter 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans and serve six provisional side portions. Record farro package time, squash yield, pecan distribution and actual salad volume in a trial.
Notes
Recipe-development draft; not kitchen-tested. Timing and yield are estimates. Nutrition has not been calculated.
Untested estimate: farro simmer 25–30 minutes and squash roast 25–30 minutes in parallel; preheat excluded.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Sides
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One sixth of finished salad, pending measured cooked volume