This colorful salad is a stunning addition to any New Year’s menu. This jewel toned salad is packed with goodness – barley, farro, quinoa, sorghum, roasted butternut squash and rainbow carrots, pomegranate seeds.For a gluten-free version, use quinoa and sorghum and leave out the barley and farro. This is a large recipe at 18 cups so allocate accordingly.
Roasted Butternut Squash Fig Grain Salad
Use quick cooking barley and farro. They can be cooked together. Sorghum takes about 50-60 minutes to cook until it gets tender, and quinoa takes about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrots
4 cups butternut squash, but into ½” cubes
2 cups carrots, cut into ½’ pieces (I used rainbow carrots for more color)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Stewed Figs and Cranberries
1 cup dried figs
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 cups apple cider
Grain Salad
4 cups cooked barley
2 cups cooked farro
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups cooked whole sorghum
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar
¾ cup parsley, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1½ cups pomegranate seeds
juice from one clementine
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrots
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together butternut squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place carrots, remaining tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper in the bowl; toss together, then spread in a single layer on another baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in the oven. Roast carrots about 20 minutes, until tender; roast butternut squash 20-25 minutes until tender.
Stewed Figs and Cranberries
Place figs, cranberries and apple cider in a saucepan; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes; turn off heat and let sit until you are ready to assemble the salad. When ready to use, remove figs from reduced apple cider and cut off stems; cut figs into quarters. Reserve reduced apple cider and cranberries.
Grain Salad
Place cooked grains in a large serving bowl and toss with olive oil, vinegar, parsley, thyme, pomegranate seeds, clementine juice, roasted butternut squash and carrots, figs, reduced apple cider and cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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