Sweet potatoes, apples & greens fill out this hearty autumn salad. With sweet, salty, crunchy & nutty elements, it's a perfect side dish or meal on its own.

fall / salads / vegan-option

I have a love/hate relationship with farro. It takes forever to make, and quinoa is quicker, but the chewy, nutty grains bring a real heartiness to this not-wimpy fall salad. The catch is that you have to pre-plan for farro – it’s easiest to make a big batch and keep it around all week. I’m not usually that organized, but I happened to have made farro the day before my Farmhouse vegetables arrived, so here we are… a farro salad with more veggies than could fit onto the subject line of this post.

Fall Salad Recipe Ingredients

This delicious salad recipe is sweet, salty, crunchy, nutty… Here’s what makes it so darn good:

• Roasted sweet potatoes, for toasty flavor and soft texture
• Peeled carrot ribbons, for a fun crisp contrast to the soft sweet potatoes
• Diced apples, for sweet fall flavor and crisp, juicy texture
• Lots of greens, for vibrant color! I mixed kale and salad greens together because that’s what I had – feel free to use one or the other if you don’t have both.
• Radishes, for a little bite and crunch
• Parsley, for fresh flavor. Thyme would be good too!
• Almonds, for crunch and extra nuttiness. Toasted pecans, walnuts, or pepitas would also be great here.
• And an apple cider Dijon vinaigrette, to tie it all together. Yum!

If you’re not vegan, crumbled feta or Parmesan shavings would be delicious here as well.

Serving Suggestions

We ate this salad for dinner, and then I ate it for lunch the next two days in a row. It’s a great one to meal prep for lunches or make ahead for holidays. You can prep all the components up to two days in advance, but for best texture, I would suggest adding the lighter salad greens at the last minute and roasting the sweet potatoes just before you’re ready to serve.

This salad would be a pretty addition to your Thanksgiving table, along with other flavorful vegetable dishes like roasted beets, green beans, and delicata squash. Of course, you can’t skip the cornbread stuffing (or regular stuffing, if that’s more your thing) and cauliflower mashed potatoes.

If you’re looking for vegetarian main dish ideas, try this stuffed acorn squash or a classic lasagna. And don’t forget the apple pie for dessert!

Looking for more farro recipes?

Try using it in fried rice, tossing it with Brussels sprouts, or serving it in a springy asparagus salad or eggplant salad.

4.9 from 10 reviews

Autumn Farmhouse Salad

  PrintPrep time 15 minsCook time 35 minsTotal time 50 mins This hearty salad makes a wonderful Thanksgiving side or light dinner on its own. If you're gluten-free, use quinoa in place of the farro.Author: Jeanine DonofrioRecipe type: SaladServes: 4-6 as a sideIngredients

• 1 cup cooked farro (see notes)
• 1 sweet potato, chopped into cubes
• A few leaves kale, chopped or torn
• 2-3 cups salad greens
• 1-2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
• 1 apple, diced
• A few radishes, sliced
• Small handful of chopped parsley
• ½ cup chopped & toasted almonds

apple cider Dijon vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• optional: ½ teaspoon maple syrup or a big squeeze of orange
• Sea salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potato cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

In a large bowl, lightly massage the kale with a bit of the dressing until the kale wilts down. Add the farro and mix.

Add the greens, carrots, apple, radishes, parsley, and almonds, and toss with as much dressing as you like. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.

NotesI cooked my farro in a rice cooker for about 45 minutes on the brown rice setting. 3 cups water to 1 cup farro. You can also cook it on the stove for 40 minutes to an hour until the farro is tender and chewy. (Check it every now and then to make sure it's not burning to the bottom of the pan). Soak farro overnight to speed up your cook time. Make a big batch and store leftovers in the fridge for salads throughout the week.

Make ahead tips: everything can be made and stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance. For best texture, I would suggest adding the lighter salad greens at the last minute and roasting the sweet potatoes just before you're ready to serve.

3.4.3177
 

Platter and Serving Pieces from West Elm

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