Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Farro Salad with Dried Cherries and Pecans
The perfect hearty warm salad, creamy and sweet butternut squash, paired with tender kale, nutty farro, sweet dried cherries, and rich pecans, tossed with the BEST sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette.
Soak the farro in water for 1-2 hours or overnight (optional but this dramatically cuts down on the cooking time)
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add farro and cook for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Drain farro (as you would pasta) and set aside.
Add kale to a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Massage until tender.
Add farro and butternut squash to the bowl with the massaged kale and toss well. Add dried cherries and pecans.
Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients together until emulsified (alternatively, add all ingredients to a mason jar or salad dressing shaker and shake until thick and creamy)
Drizzle dressing on top of the farro salad and toss well to coat. NOTE: You may not need all of the dressing. This is personal! Start with 1/2 the dressing and taste to see how you like it, if you feel like it needs more add more!
Serve immediately.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
HOW TO ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH:Cut squash into cubes, place on a large sheet tray, drizzle with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 400° oven until tender. 20-40 minutes depending on how large or small you chop cut the squash.