Warm Butternut Squash and Wheatberry Salad
Author Notes: I love the nuttiness of wheatberries, and it's delicious with creamy butternut squash. - apartmentcooker —Erin McDowell
Food52 Review: More side dish than salad, this is really good. Great taste -- onions, garlic, sweet squash, herby notes from thyme, rosemary and sage -- and great texture from the wheatberries. I had never used wheatberries before so I wasn't sure how long they would take to cook -- they took about an hour so when I make them again, I will start them before roasting the squash. My "small" butternut squash weighed about 1.5 pounds, and I used about 3/4 of it in the salad. This is a wonderful, hearty way to eat butternut squash, and I'm looking forward to having leftovers for lunch -- I highly recommend it for Editors' Pick. - drbabs —The Editors
Serves 4
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- olive oil, as needed
- salt and pepper, as needed
- 2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup wheatberries, soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, warm
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped sage
- grated parmesan cheese, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Spread into an even layer on a baking sheet, and roast in a 400 degree oven until lightly golden and tender, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until translucent, about 1 minute more.
- Add the wheatberries and stir to heat through, about a minute. Add the wine, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the wine has mostly evaporated.
- Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium low heat. Cover, and simmer until the liquid is all absorbed and the wheatberries are tender.
- Stir in the cooked squash, sage, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, finish with another knob of butter. Serve warm.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Root Vegetable Side
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Butternut Squash
More Great Recipes: Side Dishes|Rice & Grains|Salads|Vegetables
almost 6 years ago enbe
We made this tonight with pumpkin that we had from a farmshare instead of butternut squash and it was SO DELICIOUS. I make a lot of food52 recipes and this has been one of our favorites. Thank you!
almost 6 years ago Erin McDowell
Erin is a Test Kitchen Manager at Food52
Thanks for the great review, drbabs!
almost 6 years ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Thanks for the great recipe!
almost 6 years ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Hi apartmentcooker. I am testing this for Editors' Pick this weekend--am really looking forward to making it. (I bought wheatberries a while ago and never used them, so I've had an eye on this recipe since you posted it.) I'll let you know how it goes!
almost 6 years ago Erin McDowell
Erin is a Test Kitchen Manager at Food52
Yay, drbabs! I hope you like it!
almost 6 years ago Erin McDowell
Erin is a Test Kitchen Manager at Food52
Thanks guys! Let me know if you end up trying it!
almost 6 years ago cheese1227
Very interesting. I am always looking for ways to use wheatberries. I always go the cold salad route. I will have to try this.
almost 6 years ago Kayb
This sounds really good; I enjoy the nuttiness of wheatberries, and I can see it playing well with the roasted squash.