Grains

Green Kitchen Stories' Winter Millet Salad

November  6, 2015
4.3
7 Ratings
Photo by The Curious Pear
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This winter salad recipe is from David Frenkiel's and Luise Vindahl's blog Green Kitchen Stories. —The Curious Pear

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Ingredients
  • For the salad:
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 100 grams raw hazelnuts
  • 1 cup (240 milliliters) raw millet (any color will work)
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 1 small Romanesco cauliflower, broken into bite-size florets
  • 2 handfuls red grapes, halved
  • 2 handfuls green leaves (we used beet greens)
  • Seeds of 1 pomegranate
  • For the chunky herb dressing:
  • 1 handful basil, finely chopped
  • 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Prepare the butternut by trimming off the top and bottom and cutting it in half crosswise and lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and remove the tough peel with a sharp knife or a peeler. Cut into 1- inch (2-centimeter) cubes. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft and slightly brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  2. The last 10 minutes of baking time, place the hazelnuts on a separate baking tray, sprinkle with salt, and toast until skin cracks and browned. Remove and let cool slightly, then rub between a rough cloth or kitchen towel to remove the skin. Chop coarsely.
  3. Rinse the millet in a sieve with boiling water, then place in a small saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let gently simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft and the water is gone.
  4. Place the cooked millet in a large bowl and add all of the ingredients for the herb dressing. Mix with your hands to make sure all millet is coated. Add all of the other ingredients to the millet mixture and gently fold to combine. Serve!

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Best friends Issy and Meg have spent the last decade sitting across tables from each other, travelling the world knife and fork in hand. Photographing bowls of steaming noodles, exotic street food and some of the world's most exciting cooks, Issy makes up the photography side of the duo, while Meg records each bite in words. Considering their equal obsession for food and each other, it was inevitable that the two would eventually combine to become The Curious Pear, intent on bringing you reviews, food features and interviews with the culinary crowd, as well as pieces on their favourite eating spots from around the world. The Curious Pear are the contributing Food Editors at SUITCASE Magazine, bringing you a weekly food column at suitcasemag.com, as well as contributing for Time Out, Food52, Life & Thyme, Trends on Trends, Guest of a Guest and more!

7 Reviews

NXL December 18, 2021
Beautifully colorful and tasty salad. I just couldn't bring myself to add the avocado, and I substituted farro for the grain and pecans for the hazelnut.
AllyKrue February 16, 2020
This was absolutely delicious! I subbed pearl barley for the millet (which takes longer to cook) and dried cranberries for the pomegranate. I'm looking forward to the leftovers!
Margie V. November 12, 2018
So delicious and filling - and gorgeous. I use baby kale which works fine. As others have said, it's versitale. I use regular cauliflower cut into very small florets and that works. The sweet roasted squash contrasts with the more tart pomegranate seeds. A big hit when I make it for friends.
Lindsey December 16, 2017
Delicious for the whole family, even the 2yr old!
Betsy W. January 4, 2017
I cannot express how much I love this salad. If you follow the ratios, it is so versatile. I've made it probably 10 times this winter and sub different fruits and nuts as well as the roasted bit and grain. I've done versions with brown rice, broccoli, apples, cranberries and sweet potatoes, I've used mint in the dressing, I've subbed toasted walnuts and pecans, I've used white potato and beets in place of the squash. It's all about the ratios and the dressing. I prefer to eat it warm, letting the squash and millet wilt he greens a bit. Pure heaven.
Mary D. November 13, 2015
I love so much this kind of salad! It's so delicious for lunch :)
Carolyn J. November 12, 2015
This looks delicious! I've been a long time subscriber to Green kitchen stories. This looks like its served cold, but do you think it would work warm with the cauliflower roasted too? It's quite cold where I live! Thank you