Warm Einkorn, Chard and Butternut Squash Salad
This hearty warm salad is a delicious side or vegan main dish perfect for a festive holiday meal. Tart cranberries are balanced by the sweetness of butternut squash and maple syrup making it a fall favorite.
Whole Einkorn Berries: Wholesome Ancient Grain
Einkorn, a German word meaning ‘single grain’, is one of the oldest cereal grains to be cultivated by man for human consumption and is believed to have been domesticated around 7500 BC. Once the primary grain of in the UK it fell out of favor in the Bronze Age and almost disappeared until being rediscovered by small farms and artisanal bakers just a decade ago. The grain has delicious and complex flavors, as well as presenting various nutritional benefits to the consumer such as higher levels of protein and antioxidants than regular wheat.
Related Recipes
The Heirloom Bean + Grain club
Learn More
Get impossible to find beans and grains shipped direct to your doorstep each month from small family farms.
Support small family farms
Shop Now
We support small, family owned farms across the nation. Did you know that farmers only make an average of 10 cents on every dollar you spend at the supermarket? Working directly with farms and not middle men ensures that more money goes back to the people actually growning your food.
Warm Einkorn, Chard and Butternut Squash Salad
Lisa Riznikove
4
American
Side Dish
This hearty warm salad is a delicious side or vegan main dish perfect for a festive holiday meal. Tart cranberries are balanced by the sweetness of butternut squash and maple syrup making it a fall favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 6 tablespoons EVOO
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 cups whole Einkorn wheat berries
- 1 bunch chard washed
- 1 large shallot minced
- 3 sprigs thyme leaves
- 3 sage leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Directions
Trim the hard stems off the chard and dice small. Set aside.
Toss the butternut squash with enough EVOO to lightly coat and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper. Add a sage leaves to the baking tray.
Bake squash at 400 for 20 minutes until just starting to brown on the edges.
Meanwhile place wheat berries in a pot, add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
- 5. Add EVOO, shallots, garlic, chard stems, thyme leaves, salt and pepper to a dutch oven over medium high heat and sauté 3-5 minutes until starting to brown.
Add wine and maple syrup.
Bring to a boil and reduce by half.
Add cranberries and continue to reduce until they just start to pop. Reduce heat and add the cooked wheat berries and chard.
Cover until chard begins to wilt, gently folding the chard into the mixture.
When the chard is just wilted remove from the stove and add the butternut squash.
Taste and adjust seasonings. If the cranberries are still too tart you can add some honey or additional maple syrup. If it tastes too sweet add a bit of apple cider vinegar to balance.