Roasted Vegetable & Farro Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing

Ever since I got my grill, it’s been tough pushing myself to try new recipes that don’t require me to just throw things on the grill, because it’s my new favorite thing ever.

But this recipe has been a staple the last few months as I’ve navigated moving, living in a temporary apartment for a couple months (with a terrible kitchen set-up), and then trying to balance the gluttony of travel and meetings with the need to fit into my clothes.  The key is that it’s not just healthy, it’s YUMMY.

There’s a fair amount of “dealer’s choice” in this recipe.  It’s incredibly flexible and forgiving…you can substitute different vegetables, use different grains (I use farro, but barley, Israeli couscous, wheatberries, or other similar grains would do), and I’ve even had to substitute dressing ingredients in a pinch.  One time I didn’t have fresh lemons or oranges, so I used a combination of lemon juice & rice wine vinegar to get the tang and acidity, and one time left out the Greek yogurt, and it was still great.

So that’s all to say, I’ll tell you how I’ve done it a few different times, but if the spirit moves you go with your gut.  Grill, roast, and drizzle your way to healthy deliciousness.

Line your baking sheets with foil for easy clean-up if you’re roasting, or get your grill going on a nice high heat if grilling.  You can roast or grill the veggies, or a combination of both, which is what I did to avoid having my oven on too long in the middle of summer.

Chop up all your vegetables into semi-evenly sized pieces.  Coat everything with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a generous sprinkle of garlic powder, and spread them out evenly on the baking sheets—don’t crowd them or they’ll just get soggy.  Or grill your veggies however you usually do.

This particular time, I roasted my brussels sprouts, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and red onion.  Then while my oven was occupied, I grilled my zucchini and peppers, since I was in the middle of grilling chicken as well.

Prepare the farro according to the package directions (you want it al dente) and drain, then set aside.

While everything is roasting or grilling, prepare the dressing.  Chop the shallot finely and pour the rest of the ingredients into a blender, or I use a mason jar and then just shake it vigorously.  Blend or really shake everything together to get your dressing.

Now it’s just assembly.  In a really big bowl or container, throw the cooked farro, all the veggies, and your protein (if applicable), and stir everything together.  Then drizzle the dressing over and toss to lightly coat.  I usually add more salt to taste.

This will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, and makes awesome leftovers…I actually like it better the next day.

I’ve made several different variations of this vegetable & grain salad, and have found it’s such a great reliable go-to for work lunches—satiating, healthy, and yummy.  Quite the convenience trifecta.

You might also like:

• Sweet Potato & Chickpea Buddha Bowl with Maple Tahini Dressing
• Balsamic Chicken & Brussels Sprouts
• Korean BBQ Chickpeas & Cauliflower
• The Best Black Bean Brownies Ever (gluten-free)
• Farro Salad with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, & Pepitas

Roasted Vegetable & Grain Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing

As mentioned above, this is a super flexible and adaptable salad, depending on what’s in season or what you have on-hand.  Amounts are suggested, but in general you want TONS of veggies relative to the amount of grain.  Also in a pinch, I used rice wine vinegar instead of the lemon and orange juice in the dressing (because I didn’t have it) and also I’ve left out the Greek yogurt, and it doesn’t really make a big difference—it’s delicious!

Salad

• 1 package of farro or similar grain (the Trader Joes package I use is 8.8 ounces)
• 1 sweet potato or half a butternut squash
• 1 pound of brussels sprouts
• 1 zucchini (medium is best)
• 1 bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow, or a handful of small mixed ones)
• 1 red onion
• 2 cups of cauliflower florets (or more)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh-ground salt, pepper, and some garlic powder
• Optional:  a cooked protein such as grilled chicken or fish

1. Line your baking sheets with foil for easy clean-up if you’re roasting, or get your grill going on a nice high heat if grilling.  You can roast or grill the veggies, or a combination of both, which is what I did to avoid having my oven on too long in the middle of summer.
2. Chop up all your vegetables into semi-evenly sized pieces.  Coat everything with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a generous sprinkle of garlic powder, and spread them out evenly on the baking sheets—don’t crowd them or they’ll just get soggy.  Or grill your veggies however you usually do.
3. Prepare the farro according to the package directions (you want it al dente) and drain, then set aside.
4. While everything is roasting or grilling, prepare the dressing.  Chop the shallot finely and pour the rest of the ingredients into a blender, or I use a mason jar and then just shake it vigorously.  Blend or really shake everything together to get your dressing.
5. Now it’s just assembly.  In a really big bowl or container, throw the cooked farro, all the veggies, and your protein (if applicable), and stir everything together.  Then drizzle the dressing over and toss to lightly coat.  I usually add more salt to taste.
6. This will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, and makes awesome leftovers…I actually like it better the next day.

I honestly can’t remember where the salad idea came from, but I used Pinch of Yum’s dressing recipe, adapted slightly

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