Harvest Bowl

This hearty Harvest Bowl is made with rosemary-roasted butternut squash, farro, kale, pecans, apples, pomegranate seeds, and feta cheese tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette with a splash of maple syrup.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings servings (1 bowl each)

Calories 608kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespooon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (see note 1)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the butternut squash:

1 pound butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1/2 large squash or 3 1/2 cups, see note 2)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the farro:

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup farro pearled or semi-pearled (see note 3)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the salad:

1 bunch kale stemmed and torn (about 8 ounces or 8 cups raw, see note 4)
1 apple cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted pecans (see note 5)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup feta cheese or goat cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1/2 salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).

To make the butternut squash:

To make the butternut squash, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add diced squash. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, and season with salt and pepper (I like 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Toss until evenly coated.
Spread in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Roast until squash is tender and browning in spot, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature. You will have about 2 cups roasted squash.

To make the farro:

In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add farro and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Add water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until farro is tender, about 15-18 minutes. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve, then spread farro out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet to cool to room temperature. You will have about 2 cups cooked farro.

To make the bowls:

In a large bowl, add kale, 1 tablespoon maple vinaigrette, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Massage kale vigorously until dark and wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. You will have about 4 cups tightly packed massaged kale.
To assemble, divide the ingredients among 4 bowls. Build each bowl with 1 cup massaged kale, 1/2 cup farro, 1/2 cup butternut squash, 1/4 of the apple slices, 2 tablespoons pecans, 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, and 2 tablespoons feta cheese. Drizzle each bowl with 2 tablespoons maple vinaigrette.

Notes

Garlic powder: Or substitute 1 clove minced fresh garlic. The garlic is really important here. Without it, the maple vinaigrette will taste flat and overly sweet.
Squash: Aim for 1 pound of peeled, seeded, and cubed squash. If your squash is bigger than that (and it's likely to be), feel free to roast all of it and reserve the remainder for another use (the roasting time may be longer). 1 pound raw squash will yield about 2 cups roasted squash cubes (enough for 1/2 cup per bowl).
Farro: There are the three types of farro: pearled, semi-pearled, and whole farro. For this recipe, choose pearled or semi-pearled farro.
Kale: Aim for 1 bunch of kale that is 9 or 10 ounces with stems (it will be 6 or 7 ounces without stems, about 8 cups tightly packed).
Pecans: Toasting makes a big difference flavor-wise! Toast in a skillet over medium heat until browned (one shade darker than they originally were) and fragrant, about 2 to 5 minutes.
Yield: This recipe makes 4 Harvest grain bowls. Each bowl contains 1 cup massaged kale, 1/2 cup farro, 1/2 cup butternut squash, 1/4 of the apple slices, 2 tablespoons pecans, 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, 2 tablespoons feta cheese, and 2 tablespoons maple vinaigrette.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition