Almost Fall Time Salad

I can feel it in the air! This is is hands-down my favorite time of the year living in the midwest. The weather is perfect (mid-60’s), leaves are changing colors, it’s apple picking time and of course we can break out the sweaters, drink warm boozy drink, and eat the most comforting meals!! When you think “cozy meal” you normally wouldn’t think salad.. but I think we can make an exception for this almost fall time salad ;)

The flavors and color of this salad are giving me all the autumnal vibes to get you ready for the coziest fall! It’s made up of roasted carrots and beets, tart apple, farro, toasted walnuts, and a caper orange balsamic dressing 😵 This salad is nicely balanced by the flavors of the root veggies, toasty nuts, tartness of the apple, and a citrusy and savory dressing. It comes together in a about an hour and is a perfect dinner salad, or even a great side dish for the holidays!

Almost fall time salad

(makes 2-3 large servings/ or 5-6 servings as a side dish)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 beets, peeled and cubed

6 small carrots (or 4 large), cut length-wise into spears

2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted

1 cup cooked farro (cooled if you are just now cooking it)

5-6 cups leafy greens of your choice, roughly chopped (I used a mix of kale and arugula)

Dressing:

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp agave

2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp caper, finely mined (until it’s almost paste-like)

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To the lined baking tray, add your root veggies, garlic, spices, salt and pepper to taste, and the 2 tbsp of olive oil. Bake until golden brown, roughly 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway. Set aside to cool.

Add your chopped walnuts to a small sauce pan and toast for about 7 minutes or until golden and browned. Keep tossing them every few seconds to prevent them from burning.

In a small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until. Set aside.

In a large bowl add your leafy greens, roasted veggies, toasted walnuts, and farro. Toss then fold in your dressing until evenly is evenly coated. Add more salt and pepper if you desire!