Roasted Acorn Squash Grains and Greens Salad with Feta

A hearty bowl that's crave-worthy: sweet winter squash with perfectly seasoned farro, super greens and salty feta, topped with red pepper flakes for spice. 

Want a little bit of everything to eat right now? A salad is like the buffet: a little of this, a little of that. And if you are smart about how you build it, a salad can be more delicious than you realized and can become something you actually crave. That's because this salad in particular has multiple textures and definitely multiple flavors. My personal favorite is the feta plus squash situation. The best part is you only need a little feta for big flavor impact and saltiness satiety. 

You can also make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Pre-roasted squash. Easy (especially if you're basically like, it's 5 degrees outside- anything to turn on the oven). Farro: extremely easy. Dressing: whip up a big batch and use it multiple times. And none of it has to be done all at the same time. If you've got a few minutes here and there, use it to prep one element of the salad. Baby steps when you're busy. 

Let's also talk a bit about farro for a minute. Farro is a whole grain, but it's not something that's often seen in US cooking right now. It's similar to a barley in that when cooked, it retains a bit of chew vs turning to mush. That makes it perfect for soups but also salads where it will hold up with dressing. It's a great source of iron and there's fiber. A lot of fiber. 

By the way when I make lunch or dinner Chris frequently looks at me and dead pans "Is there any fiber in this?". Spoiler alert: always. A lot of fiber. We joked about getting a neon sign for the house that says "fiber awaits" like a vacation brochure, but it might be taken as kind of a threat when visitors come.  

Roasted Acorn Squash Grains and Greens Salad with Feta

Ingredients

• 1 small acorn squash
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups mixed super greens
• 1 1/2 cups cooked farro, seasoned with salt and pepper 
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

dressing

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
• salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut acorn squash into  1/4 inch thick rounds and use a spoon or a paring knife to remove seeds from the center of each ring. Place rounds on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes or until rings are easy to pierce with fork and are browned. For extra color, broil for a minute or two before removing from oven. 

While squash is cooking, make farro to package directions and whisk dressing ingredients together. To serve, toss farro and greens together with some of the dressing. Add toppings and squash, drizzle with additional dressing.