Cider Wheat Berry Salad with Acorn Squash {Recipe ReDux}

I love the fall – the cool crisp air, the leaves changing colors, and of course the plethora of Nutritioulicious vegetables and fruits that are now in season. One of my favorite class of vegetables is winter squash. Do a search for “squash” on my site and you’ll see a pretty long list of recipes and information about these members of the gourd family.  So when I saw that this month’s Recipe ReDux challenge was “Orange You Glad It’s Fall?” I was super excited. The past few months I haven’t been able to take part in the ReDux, but I am so happy I could share another great recipe this month.

Last week when I was coming up with my weekly menu and I saw a fish recipe that included cider-glazed carrots. I changed up that fish dish and thought about something I could make as a side dish using an acorn squash that I had bought at the farmers market a few days earlier and leftover kale I had in the fridge. A search for acorn squash and kale brought me to Epicurious’ Farro with Acorn Squash and Kale recipe, which inspired my ReDux recipe.  I have been wanting to cook with wheat berries for quite some time, so I used them in place of farro. And I added apples and apple cider to go with the cider sauce I made for the fish. The end result was a nutritious and delicious seasonal grain salad that could be served cold or warm.

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Servings 4 -6

Author Jessica Levinson

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash cut into small cubes
• 5 ounces chopped kale
• 1 cup wheat berries I used Nature's Earthly Choice Wheat Berries, which cook in 15 minutes!
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 small-medium apples diced small (toss with lemon juice to prevent browning)
• 1 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees on roast setting. Spread squash cubes on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Toss squash and roast another 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. While the squash is cooking, blanch the kale and set aside.
3. In a dry small saucepan, toast the wheat berries for two minutes. Set aside.
4. In the same saucepan, heat olive oil and saute the blanched kale for 3-5 minutes. Add the apples and continue to saute until the apples are tender. Transfer kale and apples to a small bowl and set aside.
5. Put toasted wheat berries to saucepan and add cider and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. Transfer wheat berries and any remaining liquid to a medium bowl. Add the roasted squash and sauteed kale and apples. Mix in the thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.

What’s your favorite orange vegetable or fruit? What’s your favorite thing about fall?

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