Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Farro Pilaf

The combination of roasted butternut squash, hearty farro, dried, sweetened cranberries, crunchy celery, and sturdy yet tender kale make for a delicious winter dish that's both easy and pretty. Buy pre-peeled and cut butternut squash, toss with oil and spices, and roast while putting the other ingredients together. In fact, if you are in a hurry, buy the onions and celery pre-cut too. Farro is a delicious ancient grain that cooks in about 15 minutes even though it is 100% whole grain. The curry and coriander flavors are even better the next day, so it's perfect for leftovers. Unlike spinach, kale holds up for a few days, although it does shrink. Just add more kale prior to reheating to add even more powerful nutrition. Enjoy!

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Farro Pilaf

Yield: 6

Author: Judes Draughon

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 40 Min

The combination of roasted butternut squash, hearty farro, dried, sweetened cranberries, crunchy celery, and sturdy yet tender kale make for a delicious winter dish that's both easy and pretty. Buy pre-peeled and cut butternut squash, toss with oil and spices, and roast while putting the other ingredients together. In fact, if you are in a hurry, buy the onions and celery pre-cut too. Farro is a delicious ancient grain that cooks in about 15 minutes even though it is 100% whole grain. The curry and coriander flavors are even better the next day, so it's perfect for leftovers. Unlike spinach, kale holds up for a few days, although it does shrink. Just add more kale prior to reheating to add even more powerful nutrition. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup uncooked semi-pearled farro (1 1/2 cups cooked)
• 2 tsp ground cumin or coriander, divided
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced in 1/2
• 1 to 2 cup kale, torn from stem in bite-size pieces (don't include stem)
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp ground curry (to taste)
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp vinegar (white balsamic or apple cider)
• 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt (to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place farro in a medium saucepan covered with about 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain excess water.
3. Toss butternut squash with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin or coriander, and some salt; roast in the oven until tender and browned about 15 minutes. For a more chard squash, turn on broiler to brown up the edges but be careful not to burn them (optional).
4. Add 1 teaspoon oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Place minced onion in skillet and cook until translucent. Add celery and cook for a minute or two longer. Combine curry, 1 teaspoon oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon ground cumin or coriander, cooked farro, cranberries, salt and pepper to onions and celery. Cook for a minute or two while mixing ingredients together. Toss kale and roasted squash into the mixture, cover and turn off the heat, for a few minutes so the steam softens the kale. Serve. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes a great lunch to for the next day. I usually add more kale to the leftovers just prior to reheating.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

169

Fat

4.1 g

Carbs

31 g

Fiber

6 g

Protein

6.5 g

Sodium

211 mg

1 serving = 1/2 cup

anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood sugar control, heart healthy, weight loss, vegan, vegetarian