Saturday, October 15, 2011

Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple & Farro Chowder

1 1/2 lbs peeled butternut squash, diced
4 Tbs canola oil, divided
3 large Jonagold or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into large dice
1 cup sliced shallots
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 cup semi-pearled farro
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint

1) Preheat oven to 450F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss squash with 2 Tbs oil in bowl, and season with salt, if desired. Toss apples with 1 Tbs oil in separate bowl, and season with salt, if desired. Arrange squash in a single layer on 1 prepared baking sheet, and apples in a single layer on other. Roast squash 32 to 36 minutes, or until tender and browned on bottom. Roast apples 22 to 24 minutes, or until browned.
2) Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbs oil in Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add shallots, and season with salt, if desired. Cover, and cook 10 minutes, or until shallots are shrunken, stirring occasionally. Add cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes, and season with salt, if desired. Cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add farro and 8 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 25 minutes, or until farro is tender. Stir in squash and apples, and remove from heat. Stir in mint and serve.

Review: For the record, I generally hate soup, stew and chowder. I need to chew in order to feel I'm having a meal, and soup leaves me feeling hungry as there's minimal chewing. This dish was actually really yummy though, and I was full after eating it! I couldn't find farro anywhere, despite going to two different Whole Foods!! Instead, I used pearled barley, 4 cups of water, and cooked the grain for 15 minutes. This had a wonderfully sweet flavor, but not in a dessert kind of way. The mint and red pepper flakes gave it a twisted flavor, but it all balanced wonderfully. And, since I buy my butternut squash prediced at Costco, this didn't take all that long to make.  Yum!!


Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/roasted-butternut-squash-apple-and-farro-chowder/

No comments:

Post a Comment