This whole grain wheat berry salad will add a burst of color to any Thanksgiving table. Chunks of roasted butternut squash are tossed with bright pomegranate arils, sliced green apple, baby kale and candied walnuts, all bundled up in a warm cider vinaigrette.

Wheat Berry Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash & Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Serves 6 as main course, or large party as side dish

Note: I got almost all the ingredients at Trader Joes – one-stop shopping! You can buy the most time-consuming ingredients pre-washed, pre-chopped and ready to go.

For the salad and toppings:

• 1-½ cups wheat berries
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 sage leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 5 ounces baby kale, washed and dried
• 1 cup candied walnuts
• ½ cup pomegranate arils
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• *Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)

For the dressing (adapted from Ina Garten):

• ¾ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add 1-½ cups of wheat berries and simmer on low for 30-35 minutes.

Toss the squash and sage leaves with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, turning once, until tender and lightly brown.

Thinly slice baby kale.

Thinly slice Granny Smith apple.

Make the dressing: In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, cider vinegar and shallots. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 6-10 minutes, until mixture has reduced to ¼ cup. Off the heat, whisk in mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the Salad: Add the wheat berries, squash, kale, walnuts, pomegranate arils and sliced apple to a large bowl. Crumble roasted sage leaves on top. Toss with dressing and taste. If desired, sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on top to taste and re-toss. Serve with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on top (optional).

Timesaving Shortcuts (my favorite!):

• Prepare the wheat berries ahead of time
• Buy triple-washed baby kale, candied walnuts, pre-cut butternut squash, pomegranate arils and 100% orange juice

Happy soon-to-be Thanksgiving all!