My favorite kinds of recipes are those where versatility shines. I love it when you can mix and match ingredients, customize it to your liking (because I always do!), or serve it as a light lunch or dinner side. This recipe fits those criteria.
I found myself with a whole pumpkin and some extra farro that a friend gave me, and I put this together for an easy dinner. Rotisserie chicken completed the meal! I loved the mix of flavors from the salty feta, sweet roasted pumpkin (sweet potato or butternut would work great too!), chewy farro, and bright basil.
Cutting open a whole pumpkin is never fun, but if you microwave it a bit it sure is easier. I do my best to cut it in half, and then place the cut sides down on a plate with a little water and microwave it until it’s tender enough to easily cut into chunks.
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The farro cooks up easily on the stove top (or in a rice cooker.) You could also use brown rice or wheatberries. Everything else just gets tossed together!
Pumpkin Farro Salad
Yield 3-6 servings
Ingredients
1 small pumpkin, sliced into little ¼-inch cubes
1 cup dry farro
1 cup chopped fresh basil¼ cup pomegranate seeds1 lemon, juiced3 tbsp olive oilSalt and pepper to taste1/3 cup rumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice pumpkin in half, remove pith and seeds, then cut into manageable sized pieces. (Microwaving might help!) Coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cut pumpkin skin side up in a large roasting pan. Add 1/4 inch of water and bake uncovered for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and allow pumpkin to cool.
- While the pumpkin is cooking, combine the farro and water in a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let the farro rest for 5 minutes in the covered pot. Fluff the farro with a fork then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toss farro and pumpkin pieces together in a serving bowl. Add the chopped basil and pomegranate seeds. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the bowl and drizzle in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, to taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Toss and serve with crumbled feta on top.
Courses Salads, Sides
Enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or as a holiday side dish!
This salad this perfect for winter. Thank you for sharing the delicious recipe 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Do you not peel the pumpkin?
It’s up to you! I didn’t.
You probably get extra fiber if you do so!
this recipe looks d— good!
Beets work too! And they come in several colors for a festive salad.
Love the addition of pomegranate seeds – add such a nice sparkle of color and boost of nutrition.
Thanks!
I just tried farro for the first time this week.
I really liked the texture and the taste (and the fact that it is packed with fiber and protein).
I am definitely going to try this recipe.
Thank you!
Om nom nom! I am in love with farro and can’t wait to make this!
Yum, nice recipe! I absolutely love kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) and can envision using it for this recipe. Thanks!