Turn potato salad into a main meal with this sumac-roasted sweet potato and farro salad bulked up with kale, ricotta salata, mint, hazelnuts, and pickled onions.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Blue Apron. As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. Keep reading to find out how you can get an AWESOME discount on your first order!
sumac-roasted sweet potato and farro salad

Can I tell you what the worst part of coming off a vacation high is?

(And yes, I am still talking about our vacation from almost three weeks ago. Bear with me.)

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It’s not returning to work or having to wake up at an unrealistically early time or even being thrown from 80 degrees and sunny into 40 with ALL THE WIND AND RAIN.

All of that I can handle.

But having to stare into an empty fridge and figure out how to make something out of nothing and call it dinner?

Let the hyperventilating ensue.

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If there’s one thing that really gets under my skin and into whatever nerve plexus controls ANXIETY, it’s starting out the week feeling like I’m majorly behind in terms of meal prep.

But this vacation…was different. Probably because I made the Smartest Life Choice Ever (<– official, scientific term) and ordered a Blue Apron delivery to arrive the day after we got home. This meant that after my first day back at work, I returned home to find a box full of groceries, all perfectly portioned and ready to go to make three recipes that could all be prepared in under 40 minutes.

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No stress about having to go grocery shopping and figure out what to make and actually make it. It was all done for me.

And it was all delicious.

Sometimes (rarely) I really have to pat myself on the back for winning at life. This was one of those times.

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I actually had a really hard time deciding which of the three recipes to share with you. Between the Roasted Butternut Squash with Stewed White Beans, Gremolata & Brussels Sprouts, Poblano Chilaquiles, and this main squeeze salad, my taste buds were all over the place with excitement. A good problem to have, for sure, but still a problem.

Eventually I decided to go with this salad because it feels like the perfect bridge between winter and spring. I mean, it’s a salad, so by nature it’s a little bit on the lighter side, but it’s filled with so many hearty ingredients (sweet potatoes! kale! farro!) and bold flavors (sumac! mint! ricotta salata!) that you can’t help but feel satisfied after a big bowl of it no matter what the temperature is outside.

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You guys might remember that I posted about the ins and outs and whats and whys of Blue Apron not too long ago, but here’s a recap on why it’s such a fabulous option for easy meal planning: Blue Apron is basically a grocery delivery service that allows you to create delicious, chef-designed recipes at home. Basically, they provide the ingredients and the recipes, and then you do the cooking. The selection of recipes that you can choose from changes every week, with each of them emphasizing seasonal ingredients and flavors. The recipes are not your run-of-the-mill boring food, but rather try to push you out of your cooking comfort zone, at least a little, while guiding you every step of the way so you don’t feel totally overwhelmed.

You can choose either the 2-person plan or the family plan, which feeds a family of four. The 2-person plan comes with one delivery a week, each delivering three inventive meals that serve two people (although there are often enough leftovers for a lunch the next day!!), while with the family plan you can receive either one or two deliveries per week, each consisting of two meals. For the 2-person plan, you get to choose from 6 different recipes (3 meat/fish and 3 vegetarian), while for the family plan you can choose from 4. The prices for the two plans are $9.99 and $8.74, respectively, per person per meal and shipping is always free.

For the delivery, you can choose from a variety of delivery times – either during the day or after work. The ingredients are delivered in a refrigerated box, so even if they are delivered while you’re not home, they will stay fresh. Blue Apron delivers to over 80% of the country (you can check here for the different delivery zones).

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I actually felt that the recipes that I received were totally made for me and were filled with some of my favorite flavors and ingredients, but there are so many Blue Apron recipes that I hope come around again so that I get a chance to try them, such as the Greek Sweet and Sour Stew, Stir-Fried Black Rice with Miso-Roasted Carrots and Tokyo Turnips, and the Masoor Palak Dal with Curry-Spiced Cheese and Date Chutney. What I’m trying to say is, this was neither the first nor will it be the last time I use Blue Apron to get my meals on track. So stay tuned.

And if you want to try it yourself, the folks over at Blue Apron have offered that the first 50 READERS to order a delivery (using THIS LINKwill receive two free meals on their first order. Can’t beat that!

Sumac-Roasted Sweet Potato and Farro Salad
 
Turn potato salad into a main meal with this sumac-roasted sweet potato and farro salad bulked up with kale, ricotta salata, mint, hazelnuts, and pickled onions.
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup pearled farro
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale
  • 1 lb sweet potatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 lemon
  • 3-4 mint sprigs
  • 2 oz ricotta salata
  • 3 tbsp hazelnuts
  • olive oil, for drizzling
  • 2 tsp ground sumac
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 450F.
  2. Prepare the ingredients: wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high heat. Remove and discard the kale stems; roughly chop the leaves. Peel and large dice the sweet potatoes. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Crumble the ricotta salata cheese. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
  3. Roast the sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and the sumac. Toss to coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast for 23-25 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  4. Cook the farro and add the kale: While the sweet potatoes roast, add the farro to the pot of boiling water. Cook for 14-16 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in the kale and drizzle with olive oil. Stir to combine and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
  5. Pickle the onion: While the farro cooks, in a small pan, combine the onion, vinegar, sugar, and ½ cup of water. Cook on medium heat, occasionally swirling the pan, 4-6 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is slightly reduced. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside.
  6. Make the salad: To the pot of farro and kale, add the pickled onions (draining just before adding), roasted sweet potatoes, and the juice of all 4 lemon wedges. Toss to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  7. Divide the salad between 2 dishes. Garnish with the mint, ricotta salata, and hazelnuts.
Notes
Recipe from Blue Apron
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 bowl

 More main dish salads!

cajun sweet potato salad with cornmeal-crusted okra, corn and bell peppers

Cajun Sweet Potato Salad

crispy quinoa and power greens salad with smoky meyer lemon vinaigrette

Crispy Quinoa and Power Greens Salad

sweet potato salad with rye berries, pepitas and ricotta salata

Sweet Potato Salad with Rye Berries, Pepitas, and Ricotta Salata

From Around the Web:

Southwestern Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad from Joyful Healthy Eats

Guacamole Greens Salad with Cilantro Lime Jalapeno Vinaigrette from Blogging Over Thyme

The Ultimate Vegan Taco Salad from Oh My Veggies

Italian Chopped Salad from Annie’s Eats

Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Aged Gouda from Pink Parsley

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sumac-roasted sweet potato and farro salad
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32 Responses to Sumac-Roasted Sweet Potato and Farro Salad

  1. A friend of mine just sent me a code for 4 free meals from Blue Apron! I’m excited now to try them!

  2. yayy for Blue Apron. I always think about making and freezing meals before a trip or something so i have food ready when i come back…it has yet to happen. I always come home to an empty fridge too and a nearby sushi place comes to a rescue for rest of that week. I dont know if Blue Apron delivers in my area, let me check.

  3. Dude. You had me at Sumac. Love the idea of Blue Apron!

  4. Monica says:

    I just made a big batch of farro salad yesterday…(and chopped off a teeny bit of my thumb in the process of wrangling with an onion). I also like to add roasted sweet potatoes with some other veggies. I learned a lot from this – will try spicing up my sweet potatoes and must add some nuts and try pickling onions. Great ideas – thank you! : )

  5. Pam says:

    I am always drawn to dishes with pickled onions. This “dinner in a bowl” looks hearty, healthy, and super tasty.

  6. A wholesome and nutritious salad! I love that purple sweet potato salad too.

  7. I <3 BA. I'm getting a delivery the day we come back from vacation next week, too. SO helpful!

  8. I am like you, I hate to get home from a trip and stare into an empty fridge. I’ve never thought about this, but next time I travel (and I travel a lot to visit my family in Montreal) I will make exactly what you did. Such a clever idea!!!

  9. It’s not fun coming back from 80’s to 40’s! It’s been in the high 60s and 70’s here – but just heard that it’s gonna be in the low 50’s here on Thursday – so I need this meal to help me go from winter to spring and back again to winter! 🙁
    Joanne, this is indeed the perfect in-between season meal indeed! Besides it has 2 of my favs – roasted sweet potato and kale!

  10. Heather says:

    I really hope Blue Apron starts shipping to Minnesota soon… I LOVE this idea.

  11. grace says:

    no lie, sweet potatoes are my favorite thing right now. even though spring is practically here, i can’t seem to get enough! this looks yummy. 🙂

  12. I never tried sumac, but I have some at home. I am inspired to try this salad! Looks so yum!

  13. Sweet potato in a salad? Oh yeah, I am definitely interested in making this as soon as possible. Delish.

    Kay of Pure & Complex
    http://www.purecomplex.com

  14. Such a great way to incorporate sweet potatoes and highlight them in a dish. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you!

  15. cheri says:

    All three of those meals sound like heaven, beautiful salad.

  16. Reeni says:

    Yay for easy, delicious & healthy meals! So many good things going on in this salad! I feel like I haven’t eaten nearly enough sweet potatoes lately.

  17. love love love hot salads. This one with the farro and sumac is like WHAT! AmAZING!

  18. Jessie says:

    You talk about your vacation as much as you want, m’dear – you got to remember the warmth when it’s cold! This service sounds like a dream for after vacation cooking when you’re still in semi-break mode. Love this dish – farro is an absolute favorite of mine 🙂

  19. I think that ordering from blue apron was a great idea. We usually eat pasta the day we get back as I always have plenty of that in the pantry 🙂

  20. Asha says:

    It’s not fun at all to come back to a cold home:(. But the meal looks good.
    I’ve heard so much about Blue Apron, sounds interesting and looks good. Sumac is amazing, I’ve mainly used it for kabobs. I will be trying this out for sure. Pinning.

  21. Katerina says:

    Coming back from a trip to an empty fridge is not fun at all! Your salad with the sweet potato in it looks absolutely perfect!

  22. Kelly says:

    Blue Apron sounds awesome! This farro salad is the perfect in-between season meal! Love the sweet potatoes and kale!

  23. Joanne, be still my heart. . this looks so good!!! and wow, the recipes from Blue Apron sound amazing!!! This would be perfect for super busy families and couples who love food and still want to cook! love it!!!

  24. Caitlin says:

    i finally found sumac and I’m excited for more recipes to use it with! The red onions and potatoes…just yum. Blue apron looks awesome, I would definitely try it if I was in ther states still!

  25. Johanna GGG says:

    great salad – and blue apron sounds like a great idea for coming home from holidays – so nice their meals sound nice and healthy which is just what you want after a holiday

  26. The salad sounds wonderful. I love sweet potatoes. So much flavor.

  27. We’re flying to Ireland tonight and I have a supermarket order set to come the day after we return 😀 It’s not quite as good as the Blue Apron system but at least I will have food come to me! I hope I have the ingredients for this, because it looks amazing…just the thing to offset post-holiday blues.

  28. Danguole says:

    The idea behind Blue Apron really is genius. A lot of people want to cook–they just don’t have time for all the other STUFF that goes along with it. These flavors sound dope as hell (official scientific term) too!

  29. Lynn says:

    Great idea – that home delivery thing. There’s something like that in Atlanta, too.

  30. elly says:

    Oh man, this looks so good. I love sumac and am always looking for new ways to use it. I’m almost embarrassed I’ve never thought to put it on sweet potatoes.

  31. Kate says:

    I need more ricotta salata in my life!

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