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Slow Roasted Tomato Ancient Grain Salad

Think you need to avoid Italian food if you're trying to eat healthier? Nope! This fabulous ancient grain salad is loaded with all the delicious flavors of Italy minus the refined carbs and high-calorie counts!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings: 12
Calories: 367 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Main Course , Salad
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the tomatoes:
  • 4 cups Cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the grains:
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups uncooked farro
For the pine nuts:
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • ½ cup pine nuts
For the dressing:
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 medium clove garlic finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped
  • 1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup halved kalamata olives
  • ½ medium red onion finely diced
  • fresh basil leaves for garnish, if desired

Instructions

For the prep:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 325˚F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. I like to have the edges of parchment paper extending slightly over the edges of the pan for easy cleanup.
For the tomatoes:
  1. Wash, pat dry and halve tomatoes. Arrange them, cut side up, on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil then sprinkle evenly with the garlic salt, Italian seasoning, sugar and pepper. Roast tomatoes in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until tomatoes are shriveled, but still slightly juicy. Set aside.
For the grains:
  1. While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the quinoa and farro. Check the package of each grain to determine the cooking time. Rinse each grain separately in a fine-mesh strainer and drain well.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add two tablespoons of kosher salt and the longer cooking time grain. Check the package instructions for your grains and set a timer for the number of minutes of the longer cooking grain minus the minutes of the shorter cooking grain. Add the longer cooking grain and continue to boil. When the timer alarms, add the second grain and set a timer for the cooking time of the second grain. When the timer alarms, drain the grains and proceed with the recipe.
For the pine nuts:
  1. Melt butter in a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the pine nuts and kosher salt and stir. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.
For the dressing:
  1. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Close jar tightly and shake well.
For the salad:
  1. Finely chop the fresh basil and set aside. Roughly chop the shaved parmesan into small bits and set aside.
  2. Combine cooked grains, half of the tomatoes, half of the pine nuts, all of the olives, the red onion, the Parmesan cheese and the finely chopped basil in a large bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the dressing and gently stir to combine. Top salad with remaining tomatoes, pine nuts and the basil leaves. Pass extra dressing at the table.

Notes

  • See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.

Nutrition Information

Calories 367kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 40g (13%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 7mg (2%) Sodium 522mg (22%) Potassium 349mg (10%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 624IU (12%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 131mg (13%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 367

% Daily Value*

Calories 367kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 40g 13%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 522mg 22%
Potassium 349mg 7%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 624IU 12%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 131mg 13%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.