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A healthy recipe for fall, this Roasted Brussels Sprouts Farro Salad makes the perfect weeknight side dish or main or holiday standout dish. Simple ingredients but full of natural flavors the whole family will enjoy.
I am, both literally and figuratively a summer baby. Born in August, I live for my days in the hot sun (covered in SPF and wearing a hat) wearing sun dresses and t-shirts.
Though I’m a summer baby, I live for fall foods. Chilis, soups, squash and brussels sprouts… The flavors are by far my favorite! This warm roasted brussels sprouts farro salad combines so many delicious flavors and has become a staple on our Thanksgiving table for the past couple of years.
Why Make This Recipe:
It’s healthy! – If you want to bring a non-conventional dish to your holiday meal but also don’t want to step on anyone’s toes with your healthified green bean casserole, this warm grain salad is a good compromise. It tastes decadent, but it’s also packed full of healthy, seasonal fall foods.
Uses minimal ingredients – No strange ingredients needed. Other than the pomegranate seeds, which can sometimes be tricky to find, most conventional grocery stores carry all these ingredients.
Can prep in advance – this is especially helpful if you’re making this for a holiday gathering. This brussel sprout farro salad can easily be made in advance in stored in the fridge. In fact I find it gets better the longer it sits.
Ingredients Needed:
- Farro – farro is a grain with a slightly chewy texture that can be found at most grocery stores in the bulk aisle or grain aisle.
- Brussels sprouts – cut off the ends and slice in half for easy roasting.
- Pecans – you can buy pre-chopped or chop them yourself. Love the nutty flavor these add! Walnuts are a great substitute if you need one.
- Pumpkin seeds – sometimes called pepitas.
- Pomegranate seeds – feel free to use pre-seeded pomegranates or seed them yourself.
- Olive oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil but feel free to use whatever you have.
- Balsamic vinegar – you could also use a different vinegar if you don’t have balsamic.
- Maple syrup – honey can be used but this recipe is considered vegan if you stick to maple syrup.
- Dijon mustard – I love the tanginess that dijon mustard adds.
- Dried thyme – you can also use fresh thyme if you prefer, just double the amount.
- Sea salt and pepper – feel free to adjust to taste preference.
How to Make this Brussel Sprout Farro Salad
STEP 1: ROAST BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Place the brussels sprouts on a lined baking sheet and coat with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes or until slightly charred.
STEP 2: COOK FARRO
While the brussels sprouts are roasting, cook the farro according to package directions.
STEP 3: COMBINE SALAD INGREDIENTS
On the stovetop over medium-high heat, place the pecans and pumpkin seeds in a skillet and cook until slightly browned. Watch them carefully as they can burn easily! In a large bowl, combine farro, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds and brussels sprouts once they’re done cooking.
STEP 5: DRESS SALAD
In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and dijon mustard and stir to combine. Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss to combine. Stir in the salt, pepper and dried thyme. Serve warm or cold!
What to Serve with Brussels Sprouts Farro Salad
Honestly we eat this salad on it’s own! It’s delicious and filling on it’s own but also a great addition to a variety of main dishes if you would rather eat as a side. Here are some pairing suggestions:
- Maple Roasted Squash
- Cornbread Stuffing
- Charred Green Beans
- Roasted Maple Dijon Carrots
- Orange Pecan Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole
Whether you’re enjoying this warm salad for a casual weeknight dinner or decide to bust it out for a family holiday, I hope you love it as much as we do!
More Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Harvest Farro Salad
- Farro Caprese Salad
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Harvest Quinoa Salad
- Fall Butternut Squash Salad
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Farro Salad
A healthy recipe for fall, this Roasted Brussels Sprouts Farro Salad makes the perfect weeknight side dish or main or holiday standout dish. Simple ingredients but full of natural flavors the whole family will enjoy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Roast
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked farro
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed +halved
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sea salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place brussels sprouts on a lined baking sheet and coat with olive oil and 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until slightly charred.
- Meanwhile, cook the farro according to package instructions (generally 1:2 ratio).
- On the stovetop over medium-high heat, place pecans and pumpkin seeds in a skillet and cook until slightly browned. Watch carefully as they burn easily.
- In a large bowl combine farro, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds and brussels sprouts (once they’re done cooking).
- In a small bowl combine balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and dijon mustard and stir to combine.
- Top dressing onto salad and stir in salt, pepper and dried thyme.
- Serve warm or cold, depending on preference.
Pomegranate seeds don’t really work, maybe dried crabapple. Salad tastes better cold but Brussel sprouts taste better warm. Maybe artichoke hearts or button mushrooms would be a good substitute.
That should read cranapple. God bless spell check
What a pretty salad! It looks delicious and healthy. I can’t wait to try this one! Thanks for the inspiration.
Made this recipe to pair with grilled salmon. Absolutely wonderful. Easy to prepare, and tastes fantastic. Was also a total hit with my 10-year old daughter. I made a double batch so I’m looking forward to taking this in my lunches all week.
It would be even more awesome if you could post nutritional info with your recipes for those of us who are tracking such things.
Wanted to let you know we brought this as a side dish for our second Thanksgiving this year! It was so flavorful and had so many flavorful textures. Will definitely be making this again!
So happy to hear that!
This was just excellent, I loved the crunchy pop of the pomegranate seeds, very easy to make. My husband is prediabetic so he was able to eat this. Thank you Healthy Maven. We tried the sweet potato casserole too, just great with the tahini.
What a perfect salad! Just had roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner today, and they were absolutely divine! I bet my Brussels sprouts would have been even better with farro and pomegranate seeds like you added in your salad!
That looks so beautiful and delicious. I’ve been making lots of your recipes recently and I can’t wait to make this one for my family.