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This Autumn Harvest Salad uses the beautiful produce available as the months start to get colder, such as delicata squash, kale, and pomegranates, as well as farro and goat cheese to make a hearty cold weather salad. Then it is all tossed together with a maple apple cider vinaigrette!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.
Does the cold weather make you just crave comfort food? I know it does that to me. And although I have plenty of room on my meal plan for warm soups, cheesy pasta and all other kinds of comfort food, sometimes I want to keep it healthier and focus on fruits and veggies. As I shared before with my Roasted Shrimp, Fennel and Grapefruit Kale Salad, I like my cool weather salads to be bulked up with roasted veggies and grains. Here I have kept the farro and kale, but added roasted delicata squash and pomegranate aerials for that sweet tart zing. Once again, my local Fred Meyer came through for me by having all the ingredients I needed for this salad, including these gorgeous pomegranates.
Have you ever used a pomegranate? They can seem a bit intimidating, but once you figure out how to prepare them they are actually very easy to work with. There are a few methods suggested for how to de-seed the arils from a pomegranate. I’ll tell you about three of them, and which one is my favorite.
How to de-seed a pomegranate:
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- This is the most popular method online. Use a knife to score the skin of the pomegranate all the way around the middle, but don’t cut into the seeds. Use your hands to gently pry the two halves apart. Hold the pomegranate cut side down over a large bowl. Be sure your hand is under the pomegranate. Use a large spatula or spoon to smack the top of the pomegranate. This is supposed to make all the seeds fall out easily. This seems to work for many people, but it didn’t work very well for me. Keep reading to see my prefered method.
- Score the skin of the pomegranate into quarters. Carefully pry the quarters apart. Use your thumb and fingers to remove the seeds (arils) from the white pith. This is not my favorite method because it is very messy. Often the juice will get all over everything and it can stain.
- Start the same way as option 2, by scoring the pomegranate skin into quarters. However, for this method you will want a large bowl of cold water. I like to use my salad spinner so that I can just lift the basket out of the water when I am done, retrieving all the seeds. Under the water, pry apart the quarters, then use your thumb and fingers to gently separate the seeds from the white pith. The seeds will sink to the bottom and most of the pith will float on top. Remove the white pith from the water and drain the water, leaving you with only the arils. This is my favorite method and I have found it works best for me. Feel free to try different options to see which one you prefer!
I used farro in my salad but you can use another grain if you prefer – quinoa would also be nice. And I love using delicata squash because it is so easy to work with – no peeling! The skin of the delicata is edible. The dressing is full of fall flavors with the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.
What is your favorite fall and winter produce?
Autumn Harvest Salad with Pomegranates
Ingredients
- 1- 2 bunches kale center ribs removed and torn into small pices (6-8 cups)
- 1 delicata squash de-seeded and cut into half moons
- 1 cup cooked farro
- 4 ounces soft goat cheese chevre
- arils from one pomegranate about 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- salt
- pepper
For Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove pressed or finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Toss delicata squash in 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper and chili powder, arrange in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, Roast for about 15 minutes, or until golden and tender. Set aside.
- Whisk together all ingredients for dressing (I use a mason jar to shake them until combined)
- In a large bowl,add kale, delicata squash, farro, goat cheese and pomegranate arils. Pour dressing over and toss to fully coat everything in the dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.
Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.
Can you use avocado oil?
Hi Jo – I haven’t used it but that would probably be fine as long as you like the taste 🙂
Love delicata and could eat it every day, this salad is wonderful and also so pretty. I love recipes like this that get you going on using what you have if you need to substitute something-like I used reduced fat or fat free feta instead , and had freekeh left over but do love farro and will make some of that next time. I usually skip oil and just use misto spray and roast probably at least 30 minutes, flipping part way through checking on them that they don’t burn but get brown. Very good, and am going to make it again and again. Thank you
So glad you love it Frances!
Thanks for sharing! What a great lunch meal prep to have for the week!
This looks so good! I love the way the squash is presented too! So pretty and appealing to eat!
I’ve made this before and loved it! Volunteered to make it for Thanksgiving but can’t find delicata squash! I picked up butternut squash – would that work? Thank you!
Hi Sajeda – yes that should work! Just be sure to peel it as the skin for butternut squash isn’t edible like delicata skin is.
I can’t seem to find delicate squash and o realllly want to make this! Any recommendations on a substitute?
Hi Kathryn, I would try acorn squash! But for acorn squash you can’t eat the skin, so be sure to remove it before eating.
This is one of my go to favorite salads. I hate to say it, but we eat this almost once a week. It is such a feel good salad. It leaves you full, and you still feel healthy after stuffing yourself with it. My “meat eater” husband loves it as well. The only change we make is that we “massage” the kale with the dressing a few hours in advance, and we use blue cheese crumbles instead of goat cheese. Love love love this recipe!!!
Hi Katy, so happy to hear that you love it!
Do you think the squash can be roasted ahead and either brought to room temp or briefly reheated?? I think your salad you be super on Thanksgiving but prepating would help with time and oven space.
I meant to say preparing ahead!!
Hi Adele – Yes, I would prepare everything ahead of time (up to the day before) and store them separately in sealed containers in the fridge. Then you can just assemble it when you are ready to serve. I don’t like the salad with the squash cold, so quickly reheating it in the oven would be my favorite way to do it. Hope you enjoy this on Thanksgiving!
thanks! Did you mean that preparing the squash more than the day before was not a good idea? I think you’re right about reheating
The squash can get a little mushy a few days after it is cooked. So if I were making this for Thanksgiving, I would make everything on Wednesday. If you make it on Tuesday it might be fine but you might run the risk of the squash being mushy. Hope that helps!
This really is a healthy bowl of comfort! Looks wonderful!
I make something super similar to this, but with cubes of Japanese sweet potato instead of the delicata squash. Your dressing sounds delicious, though. I’ll use that next time, for sure.
This is such an amazing salad! It’s colors and flavors look and sound delicious!
I’m fairly certain that pomegranates would totally win in a produce beauty contest. I mean, I’m sure they’re super smart and love charity work, but they’re just so darn gorgeous 😉 The flavors in this salad sound so ridiculously amazing, Meghan! I bet the chili powder is perfect against the sweetness of the squash and the maple syrup in the dressing. That with the tart pomegranate… I think I might need this right now. Like right now. So much yum here 🙂 Have a great week, my friend! Pinning! XO
Pomegranates are my favorite! I admit I just cut them into quarters and don’t mess around. Sure, a few of the seeds end up mutilated, but I eat them anyway. It’s all good! 😛 This salad is gorgeous… you definitely know how to take advantage of fall produce!
This is absolutely gorgeous! Hearty winter salads are probably my favorite. I’ve yet to try faro so I’m excited to have such an awesome recipe to try it with!
There’s so much I love about this salad, Meghan! From the colors, textures and flavors, to the overall heartiness of it. A meal itself! I didn’t eat poms for the longest time because I thought they were too much work.. but my goodness! They are worth every ounce of effort! Easy and so delicious! I like to line up three or four and have an extraction party, then store the little arils to have on the ready! Gorgeous work my dear!
This salad looks phenomenal! And those pomegranate shots — gorgeous! I’m so excited delicata squash is back in season; it’s my favorite!
Thank you friend! Yes, delicata is my favorite too!
That dressing sounds fabulous! And pomegranates and goat cheese make a stellar combo. Lovin that you ramped up the healthy factor with the kale.
Thanks so much lady!
I definitely crave comfort food this time of year….then again, maybe I just crave comfort food all the time. I think that’s more like it 😉 I’ll just use the cold weather as an excuse…hehehe 😀 Harvest salad, indeed! Wow! This is just chocked FULL of so many goodies, Meghan! And that dressing? Love the touch of smoked paprika. No matter what way I remove the seeds from the pomegranate (which is usually over water) I somehow have some red juice splatted on me. But, this salad would totally be worth it. Pinned, of course. Happy Halloween!
Haha, I feel you, I think I crave comfort food all year as well! Thanks so much Dawn!
I love every part of this salad. Grain salads are my favorite, and I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to “winterize” them. This one is stunning. I can’t wait to make it.
THank you so much Allyson! I hope you love it!
I just had delicata squash this weekend Meghan and it was so delicious that I’m now wanting to include it in virtually every meal. The skin does look like it wouldn’t be edible so I was impressed with how nicely it did cooks up.
As for this salad. . .well it is the perfect way to insure I get my daily delicata fix. Pomegranate arils, goat cheese, farro. . .I just adore all the flavors in it.
It is so good, isn’t it? Thanks so much Lynn!