This Sesame Farro Salad is a warm and delightfully hearty salad. It’s a versatile salad that can be served warm or cold and could be served as an entree due to the heartiness of the squash. The nut/seed mix adds a nice contrasting texture next to the farro! You can also add some extra chopped kale or scoop it up with some nice crusty bread! One time, I added a spoonful of my chive Asiago pesto to my serving and it was divine!
I have noticed a lot of people commenting on my photos lately. It got me thinking about how I originally started my blog as a way to document my life. However, over a period of time, it turned into a recipe blog with a focus on photography, which is something I would have never had dreamed of at the time. I never had the desire to be a photographer as it seemed too left-brain for me. Although, I quickly realized that I had to up my photography skills if I wanted to increase the hits on my blog as well as get my photos accepted on food sharing sites.
So, I got a decent digital camera and was on my way. It was a long hard journey of trial and error with a lot of frustration but with the help of online training classes as well as input from other bloggers and friends, I started to improve. My intention was always to improve the look of my blog and it was never to become a photographer but I had to improve my photography skills if I wanted to have enticing posts! It all paid off!
I am not saying that I am a professional photographer by any means but I have improved dramatically and I have developed a severe attraction to it! I now know that I actually want to be a “photographer”! It’s the classic case of “never say never”!
You can spend as little as 15 minutes a day to develop a new skill. The trick is to not focus on how long it will take to master it or how little you may know now. It will happen if you have the desire to learn and are willing to spend the time. I cringe when I look at my early photos but then I realize how far I have come and how far I still have to go, that is exciting to me! What have you wanted to learn but are too scared or just haven’t made the time for? You know it’s never too late to start!
Try a cold glass of Sake or Sauvignon Blanc with this salad. If you like a sweeter wine a Riesling would be nice.
Sesame Farro Salad with Delicata Squash and Sesame Miso Dressing Recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Kale - – chopped into small pieces
- 2 Carrots - matchsticks or shredded
- 3/4 Cup Red Cabbage - minced
- 1/2 Cup Packed Basil - torn or roughly chopped
- 3 Cups Farro - cooked - recipe below
- 1 Small Delicata Squash - roasted - recipe below
Garnish
- Sesame seed/nut mix - recipe below
- Chives - about 1/2 cup - thinly sliced
- Dressing - you will have extra dressing
- 1/2 Cup Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1/4 Cup Grapeseed Oil or more sesame oil
- 1/4 Cup White Miso
- 1/3 Cup Brown Rice Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice - fresh squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Mirin
- 1 Tablespoon Tamari
- 1/4 Cup Shallots - minced
- 1 Clove Garlic - minced
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger - microplane
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - or to taste
Sesame seed/nut mix
- 3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
- 3 Tablespoon White Sesame Seeds
- 3 Tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Tamari
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Farro
- 1 1/2 Cups Dried Farro
- 6 Cups Filtered Water
- 1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube - unsalted
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Delicata Squash
- 2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Small Delicata Squash
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Instructions
Dressing
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In a medium bowl, whisk the oil and miso together then add everything and mix well! Set aside.
Sesame seed/nut mix
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Preheat to 350 Degrees
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Mix everything together and spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Bake for 8 minutes.
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Remove from oven and let cool. While the topping is cooking, prepare the veggies.
Veggies
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Prep all the veggies, cover and set aside in a large bowl.
Squash
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
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In a large bowl, toss the squash with the sesame oil, garlic and salt.
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Spread the squash in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put on the middle rack.
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Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.
Farro
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In a medium saucepan, add the farro, water, bouillon and salt.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a medium heat and cook, uncovered, until tender. About 30 to 35 minutes, check at 25 minutes. It should be a little chewy but not hard or mushy.
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Drain excess water and add to a large bowl.
Assemble
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Mix the farro into the veggies and top with the squash.
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Serve the dressing on the side along with some chives.
Recipe Notes
If you want to serve this as a warm salad you will want to prepare the dressing, nuts and veggies before cooking the farro and squash. This will ensure that the salad remains warm. You can add the dressing to individual salads.
Health benefits:
Farro has four times as much fiber than brown rice. Fiber helps reduce the risk of heart problems, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. Farro is really high in Iron and also rich in protein, magnesium, zinc, vitamins B and E. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates that stimulate the immune system with its high antioxidant content.
Kale is low in calories, high in fiber and it is a loaded with antioxidants which help detox the liver. It is also an anti-inflammatory with omega-3 fatty acids, which is helpful for arthritis, joint pain and asthma. Kale has more Iron than beef and more calcium than milk which helps prevents osteoporosis, joint flexibility and helps maintain normal bone health. It is great for cardiovascular support that helps in lowering cholesterol. It is really high in vitamin A, C, and super high in the powerful antioxidant vitamin K (anyone taking anticoagulants should avoid kale because the high level of vitamin K that may interfere with the drugs.) More on kale
