With this cold and rainy streak of April, I’m feeling like roasting veggies again. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots are a few that roast beautifully since they their natural sweetness comes out and the edges get caramelized. All three of these would work perfect in this salad. As you’ve seen on my Sunday Meal Prep stories on Snapchat (follow along with me: gourmetgab), I make a big batch of the salad and eat for several days at work. This particular salad held up so well because instead of the typical spring mix lettuce or spinach I used shaved brussels sprouts!
I used to think of Brussels sprouts and roasted vegetables as fall foods, but living in Indiana this year where there are actually seasons has me thinking twice. On these gloomy spring days, I still crave something hearty. The Brussels sprouts definitely add a give great body to this salad. You can buy them pre-shaved at Trader Joe’s or slice them up thinly yourself. In this salad I also added farro, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. The farro grain adds great texture and nutrients to keep you full for hours past lunch. It’s full of fiber and has a delicious nutty flavor. The dried cranberries add a surprise tart and chewy bite. Several kinds of nut would work well in this salad: toasted almonds, candied pecans or even pepitas (pumpkin seeds)! I used slivered almonds, but use whatever you have in your pantry. Dress the salad with a vinaigrette dressing right before you are ready to eat. It’s as simple as that!
- 1 package shaved Brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 2 cups roasted butternut squash (used in photos above), sweet potatoes or carrots
- 1/2 cup cooked farro
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- Feta, goat or gorgonzola cheese (optional)
- [url href=”https://gourmetgab.com/1-minute-vinaigrette-dressings-video/” target=”_blank”]Balsamic vinaigrette dressing[/url]
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss vegetable of choice in about 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender and slightly caramelized. About 25-30 minutes.
- While vegetable is roasting, cook farro on the stove according to package directions.
- Prepare balsamic vinaigrette. See video here!
- Remove roasted vegetable from the oven and let cool.
- Divide ingredients into small plastic containers: Brussels sprouts, roasted vegetable, farro, dried cranberries, almonds and cheese if adding. Reserve vinaigrette dressing until right before eating.
Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela
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