MoeThis pumpkin farro salad combines chewy farro with a whole roasted pumpkin and a few surprises, like pom seeds, for brightness!
Pumpkin Farro Salad with Poms + Feta
My favorite kinds of recipes are those where versatility shines. Moreover, I love it when you can mix and match ingredients, customize it to your liking (because I always do!), or serve it as a light lunch or dinner side. This recipe fits those criteria.
Ingredients
I found myself with a whole pumpkin and some extra cooked farro, and I put this together for an easy dinner. Rotisserie chicken completed the meal! I loved the mix of flavors from the salty feta, sweet roasted pumpkin (sweet potato or butternut would work great too!), chewy farro, and bright basil. You can find the pre-plucked pom arils at grocery stores to save you a step.
How To Cook A Pumpkin!
Cutting open a whole pumpkin is never fun, but if you microwave it a bit it sure is easier. I do my best to cut it in half, and then place the cut sides down on a plate with a little water and microwave it until it’s tender enough to easily cut into chunks. Then give those a nice roast until they’re cooked through and a bit caramelized!
Cooking The Farro
The farro cooks up easily on the stove top. You could also use brown rice or wheatberries. Everything else just gets tossed together!
Pumpkin Farro Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small pumpkin sliced into little ¼-inch cubes
- 1 cup dry farro
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice pumpkin in half, remove pith and seeds, then cut into manageable sized pieces. (Microwaving might help!) Coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cut pumpkin skin side up in a large roasting pan. Add 1/4 inch of water and bake uncovered for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and allow pumpkin to cool.
- While the pumpkin is cooking, combine the farro and water in a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let the farro rest for 5 minutes in the covered pot. Fluff the farro with a fork then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toss farro and pumpkin pieces together in a serving bowl. Add the chopped basil and pomegranate seeds. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the bowl and drizzle in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, to taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Toss and serve with crumbled feta on top.
Enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or as a holiday side dish!
More Delicious Salads!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
This salad this perfect for winter. Thank you for sharing the delicious recipe 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Paige says
Do you not peel the pumpkin?
KathEats says
It’s up to you! I didn’t.
Linda @ The Fitty says
You probably get extra fiber if you do so!
Tonya says
this recipe looks d— good!
NWMiner says
Beets work too! And they come in several colors for a festive salad.
Love the addition of pomegranate seeds – add such a nice sparkle of color and boost of nutrition.
Thanks!
Liz says
I just tried farro for the first time this week.
I really liked the texture and the taste (and the fact that it is packed with fiber and protein).
I am definitely going to try this recipe.
Thank you!
Denise Vermillion says
Om nom nom! I am in love with farro and can’t wait to make this!
Nicole @ Bento Momentos says
Yum, nice recipe! I absolutely love kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) and can envision using it for this recipe. Thanks!