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My gift to my family this year was a week’s worth of vegetables, a lifetime supply of antioxidants, and vitamin A levels that are through the roof.

(And fiber.  Lots and lots of fiber.)

All in the form of a nice compact, user-friendly salad.

This, my friends, is the epitome of the “gift that keeps on giving”.

It will give you lower cholesterol.  It will give you a smaller waistline. It will give you orange skin (if you eat it for every meal for a month on end.  Which some may or may not be wont to do).  It will give you the ability to eat two slices of rainbow cookie cake for dessert without even a hint of guilt.  And it will probably give you superpowers.**

**Results are not typical. Individual responses may vary.

**I am not a doctor.  Take everything I say with at least five grains of salt.


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That being said, when you pull it out at Christmas dinner, it will likely be met with a mixed bag of reactions.  Let me prepare you.

Your brother, when you try to (force)feed him a forkful of it, will likely make a face at at it.  He will likely accuse it of looking like Thanksgiving.

(???)

And then he will even more likely pick all of the pomegranate arils off the fork that you so carefully set on his plate.  And eat them.  Like candy.

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Your mother, when she finds out it is vegan, will likely shriek in disbelief.

She will ask in horror if you are vegan.

(Note that this is after you served the brie-stuffed puff pastry that you made as an appetizer.  And ate five hundred thousand pieces of fresh mozzarella that was bought specially from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.)

She will try to (force)feed YOU tomato sauce that was simmered for hours with large chunks of meat in it.  Proclaiming it to be vegetarian.

And then she will dutifully eat everything on her plate and even pack up a container of it to eat later this week.  (Success!!)

Your father will not even try it.  But he did glance at it a few hundred times.  Baby steps.

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You will eat a larger than life bowl of it for dinner.

Because not only is it the perfect mix of all your favorite fall vegetables and flavors, but it is also the only vegetarian option on the table.  (Regardless of what your mother says about that sauce.)

And because it’s so darn good for you, you won’t feel bad about eating the leftovers every.day.this.week.

The perfect combination of rainbow cookie cake detox food and holiday fare.  Right here.  Priceless.

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Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Wheatberry Salad with Pomegranate
Serves 8-10, adapted from The Taste Space

Ingredients

      For the butternut squash:

    • 1 medium butternut squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • a few pinches of sea salt

For the kale:

  • 1 bunch kale, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • pinch of sea salt

 

 

      For the salad:

    • 1 pomegranate’s worth of pomegranate arils
    • 1 lb brussels sprouts, halved and roasted at 400 for 15 minutes
    • 1 cup wheatberries, soaked overnight and simmered for 1 hour
    • 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and simmered for 30-40 minutes or until tender

For the dressing (adapted from Closet Cooking):

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • 3 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.  In a medium bowl, combine butternut squash cubes with the oil, minced garlic and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Roast until fork-tender, but not falling apart (around 30-40 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, mix the kale, lemon juice and salt with your hands, massaging it together. It should wilt into half its volume after 3 minutes or so.
  3. Make dressing by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and dijon together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. When the butternut squash has finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Add to the kale, along with the pomegranate arils, Brussels sprouts, wheat berries, and chickpeas and gently toss together. Toss with the dressing.  Season to taste.

I am submitting this to Souper Sundays, hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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60 Responses to Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Wheatberry Salad with Pomegranate

  1. Elizabeth says:

    Brussels sprouts and chickpeas too? Dang, I’ll take that as a present any day.

  2. What a beautiful, colorful dish! I’d eat this without any hesitation whatsoever 🙂 Hope you had a great holiday!

  3. And it’s such a beautiful dish! I’d love to try but I think my family’s reaction would be very similar. 🙂

    ?
    Camila Faria

  4. Candace says:

    oh.my.

    Remind me again why I’m not invited to dine at your house? This salad is so amazing that I have no words. I can’t wait to try this. I hope your holiday was fabulous, Joanne.

  5. Danielle says:

    This looks great and so healthy – I just posted Hot Buttered Rum – thats healthy too – right 😉

  6. OK, I think you’re my food combination soulmate. Will you please move in with me? I swear my husband won’t mind!

  7. At least your family dedicated some space on the dining table for your dish – definitely a big step. I am guessing space was limited on the table – prime dishes were carefully selected and got a spot, including yours. Thats silent endorsement too.

  8. Brussels sprouts, chickpeas AND wheat berries to such a fabulous salad!! Love it, Joanne! Your description is so accurate though, hehehe… love those pomegrante arils with the garlic-roasted squash. 🙂

  9. That’s a gorgeous looking salad. I love pomegranate 🙂

  10. Beautiful Salad! I love the healthy eating! I am so there! I am sick of sugary treats! My body actually craves fruits and vegetables. I need to pick up some pomegranate arils from Trader Joe’s. Have a great day! Sorry for the rambling!

  11. I would be DELIGHTED to eat this. The colors alone are warm and inviting. Gorgeous and I can just imagine the flavah!

  12. Lora says:

    Paris hilton tan aside, I could eat this every day for a month. No problem. So many of my favorite things to eat in here.

  13. Kristen says:

    I love, love, love wheatberry salads. This one is filled with so many beautiful colors. Hope your Christmas was wonderful despite the lack of many vegetarian options.

  14. Beth says:

    I just knew you’d have a healthy recipe waiting for me this morning! This looks absolutely wonderful.

  15. Amy says:

    This looks so delicious and packed to the brim with healthy stuff!

  16. Lea Ann says:

    I feel healthier just reading this.

  17. Amy says:

    Taste the rainbow! Even better than Skittles. Maybe next year I’ll threaten my kids with fiber in their stalking, instead of coal. Hm.

  18. Rachana says:

    This salad looks lovely! So colourful, healthy and delicious. I would love to have some 🙂

  19. Simply Life says:

    oh I wish I had this as an option with our meal!

  20. Katerina says:

    I ate a lot of food these days, but looking at this salad I started feeling hungry again! The salad looks just the right thing for me after all the food and sweets I consumed during Christmas! May you have the happiest, healthiest and “bestest” New Year Joanne!

  21. MM says:

    There’s a wheatberry salad I like to make w/ brown rice, barley, apples, and dried cranberries. The trouble is, that’s all I ever make with wheatberries. Thanks for another very colorful and healthy option. I don’t think it looks like Thanksgiving–it would be very pretty on the table any time of year.

  22. Catherine says:

    Dear Joanne, The salad looks beautiful, all the colors of the rainbow. Blessings, Catherine xo

  23. sofia says:

    ooooh, this looks delightful. i’ll try to tell myself it’s like eating an Italian rainbow cookie… right?

  24. Geni says:

    Could there be a healthier or more beautiful dish anywhere? I don’t think so!

  25. OohLookBel says:

    i bought a pomegranate tjust the other day, to sprinkle on a salad. it was brilliant, even though it came all the way from California! i also started picking on the seeds as they’re so easy (and delicicius) to eat.

  26. Christine says:

    So colorful and festive, a perfect Christmas dish! Thanks for the info on wheatberries, I’m intrigued and will have to check out Whole Foods. Love kale.

  27. Johanna GGG says:

    that looks like a bowl of christmas to me – glad your mum enjoys good vegan food even if the label scares her – and I am sure it looks very pretty on the table as well as tasting good – rainbow salad followed by rainbow cookies sounds excellent christmas fare

  28. At least your father is looking 🙂 What a wonderful, healthy salad. I haven’t had kale other than cooked so I’d love to try this.

  29. Great use of wheatberries! They sound incredible with the addition of {some of my favorites} kale, butternut squash, and pomegranates. Is this all my favorite things in a bowl? I think so!

  30. Little Inbox says:

    Love the colors. Nice Combination.
    Happy New Year!

  31. What a power house of a salad! It’s everything you could ask for in a nourishing meal. Beautiful Joanne.

  32. Yes, I desperately need detox. I’m not sure how my own brothers would react. They had their faces buried in Sausage World and beer. Heathens.
    I’m all about eating more greens. Big time. Love the color and texture of those arils. Kind of like rubies.

  33. Yum! The kale I picked Saturday will be very happy in this salad. It looks so good, especially after the holiday food splurges. 🙂

  34. Anonymous says:

    Found this today, made it tonight. Everyone said it was the best thing I’d ever made. (Although I couldn’t get the wheatberries, so substituted a chewy multi-grain rice pilaf.)

  35. Donna says:

    But you forgot to mention the best gift that your relatives have: YOU. Happy Boxing Day to you, and may you live and blog forever!

  36. Indie.Tea says:

    Haha, I am a vegetarian and my parents dont seem to like it. But your salad looks SO delicious!
    Hope you had a lovely Christmas.

  37. I could eat this for every single meal! And you are practically a doctor so I actually am going with whatever you say:-)

  38. That Girl says:

    This would be a huge hit in my house. But we’re all fiber-fans.

  39. I would love to have all of these dishes right now. But this latest wheatberry salad looks excellent!

  40. Cannot stop grinning after reading your description of the family dinner! My dad would do the same – a glance is as close as he’d get!

  41. Reeni says:

    Wow. Wow. WOW. This is packed full of so many good things. I LOVE it. And it’s festive with all those red and green colors! I would eat this in a a heartbeat, even on Christmas.

  42. Dana says:

    That is such a pretty salad Joanne. I always forget what pomegranate can do for a salad both in taste and color. (And fiber.) I hope you had a terrific Christmas!

  43. Deborah says:

    My son’s favorites are the orange foods, and I’m afraid he’s looking a little bit orange. But I guess that’s what happens when all you do is nurse and eat carrots, squash and sweet potatoes! This looks delicious, and like the perfect way to start the new year!

  44. Wow this looks insanely good! I really am dying to try wheatberries for the first time, too. Happy holidays, dear!

  45. Chris says:

    The way you describe your mom asking if your are vegan reminds me of the part in the movie Bend It Like Beckham where the mother thinks Kiera’s character is a lesbian and confronts her about it.

    Just because pomegranite is a superfood, I don’t think it REALLY gives you superpowers….that’s just their marketing hype, ha ha.

  46. Yum! I love Kale this time of year.

  47. I would be happy with this gift! 😉 I love how colorful this salad is and how healthy too. Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays. 😉

  48. Cara says:

    Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!

  49. I thought this salad looked familiar!! 😉 I love that you added brussel sprouts and wheat berries. Can’t wait to try this salad. 🙂

  50. Sarah says:

    I found this on Pinterest and thought I would give it a go. My husband FINALLY decided we could start eating more veggies as a whole, so I took this recipe and ran with it. I couldn’t find any wheatberries (go figure, I just moved to Alabama. I don’t think they would know what wheatberries are!) and the store was out of kale, so I subbed quinoa and spinach and it was awesome! I think if I tried to feed this to my inlaws, I would get your ‘dad’ reaction every time! Your post about feeding this was so funny and so true! Thanks for publishing!

  51. […] Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Wheatberry Salad with Pomegranate, Joanne Eats Well With Others […]

  52. Pamela Joy says:

    What a beautiful meal in a salad! Wow!

  53. Breda Lucas says:

    The recipe sounds and looks absolutely fantastic and I would love to try it. I live in France and I can not find wheat berries, is there something I use instead?

  54. […]  5. Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Pomegranate […]

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  56. […] Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Wheatberry Salad with Pomegranate by Eats Well With Others […]

  57. lola says:

    I just made this over the weekend so that I could have a healthy lunch all week and it’s delicious! A bit labor intensive, but I cut some corners with canned garbanzos, and roasted brussel sprouts from Trader Joe’s. Also I subbed the pomegranate molasses for maple and that seemes just fine. One more tip, the wheat berries can be cooked by simmering for one hour rather than soaking overnight 🙂 all in all yummy, nutritious, and beautiful, would totally make this for a potluck or for guests. Thank you!

  58. Stefanie says:

    I just wanted to thank you for this great recipe. I followed it pretty closely and it came out delicious on a cold winter day.

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