Roasted Vegetable & Farro Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Looking for a hearty and ridiculously flavorful salad? Read on, because this salad is so satisfying with ALL the flavors and textures included. Basil and capers add freshness and tang.

That moment when you realize there’s little to no food in the fridge, when all you want is a plethora of fruits, vegetables and fresh, delicious meals. Ack!

After a quick, two-hour long perusal of the grocery store (what can I say, I love food shopping!), the result was a huuuuuge haul of delicious ingredients and about 10 varieties of fruit — including the delicious blood oranges and lemon used in the dressing for this recipe.

The impending change of seasons has recently been bringing on some serious cravings for roasted vegetables, like brussel sprouts and cauliflower, with some equally serious browning and seasoning.

Hence, a deliciously tangy mish-mosh (is that a word?) of citrus and earthy flavors, including chewy, hearty farro.

The addition of capers and fresh herbs, a la my favorite guru Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa), yielded this delicious combination that we nearly devoured on the spot….as in, this was hard to not eat before taking some quick pics!

Hope you enjoy as much as we did! Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS:

Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• zest and juice of 1 medium blood orange
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/8 cup capers
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Salad

• 1 cup dry farro, rinsed and cooked according to package directions, cooled
• 3 cups brussel sprouts, sliced lengthwise
• 2 cups cauliflower florets cut in bite-sized chunks
• 1 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5 cups steamed string beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Place brussel sprouts and cauliflower on a nonstick foil lined baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, and lightly season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast sprouts and cauliflower for about 30 minutes or until fork-tender, tossing halfway. If getting too browned during cooking, you can gently place a piece of foil over the tray.
3. Meanwhile, mix the dressing ingredients with a whisk and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add your cooked and cooled farro, and add dressing. Toss to coat.
5. Add brussel sprouts, cauliflower, string beans, and gently toss to coat.
6. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle over the fresh basil and optional sunflower seeds.