Fall

Warm Butternut Squash and Wheatberry Salad

October 22, 2010
4
3 Ratings
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I love the nuttiness of wheatberries, and it's delicious with creamy butternut squash. - apartmentcooker —Erin Jeanne McDowell

Test Kitchen Notes

More side dish than salad, this is really good. Great taste -- onions, garlic, sweet squash, herby notes from thyme, rosemary and sage -- and great texture from the wheatberries. I had never used wheatberries before so I wasn't sure how long they would take to cook -- they took about an hour so when I make them again, I will start them before roasting the squash. My "small" butternut squash weighed about 1.5 pounds, and I used about 3/4 of it in the salad. This is a wonderful, hearty way to eat butternut squash, and I'm looking forward to having leftovers for lunch -- I highly recommend it for Editors' Pick. - drbabs —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (454 g)
  • olive oil, as needed
  • salt and pepper, as needed
  • 2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter (28 g)
  • 1 onion, diced (220 g)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (10 g)
  • 3/4 cup wheatberries, soaked overnight (138 g)
  • 1/2 cup white wine (120 g)
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, warm (567 g)
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped sage (2 g)
  • grated parmesan cheese, to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs.
  2. Spread into an even layer on a baking sheet, and roast in a 400 degree oven until lightly golden and tender, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until translucent, about 1 minute more.
  4. Add the wheatberries and stir to heat through, about a minute. Add the wine, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the wine has mostly evaporated.
  5. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium low heat. Cover, and simmer until the liquid is all absorbed and the wheatberries are tender.
  6. Stir in the cooked squash, sage, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, finish with another knob of butter. Serve warm.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • enbe
    enbe
  • Erin Jeanne McDowell
    Erin Jeanne McDowell
  • drbabs
    drbabs
  • cheese1227
    cheese1227
  • Kayb
    Kayb
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

8 Reviews

enbe December 16, 2010
We made this tonight with pumpkin that we had from a farmshare instead of butternut squash and it was SO DELICIOUS. I make a lot of food52 recipes and this has been one of our favorites. Thank you!
 
Erin J. November 11, 2010
Thanks for the great review, drbabs!
 
drbabs November 11, 2010
Thanks for the great recipe!
 
drbabs November 4, 2010
Hi apartmentcooker. I am testing this for Editors' Pick this weekend--am really looking forward to making it. (I bought wheatberries a while ago and never used them, so I've had an eye on this recipe since you posted it.) I'll let you know how it goes!
 
Erin J. November 11, 2010
Yay, drbabs! I hope you like it!
 
Erin J. October 24, 2010
Thanks guys! Let me know if you end up trying it!
 
cheese1227 October 23, 2010
Very interesting. I am always looking for ways to use wheatberries. I always go the cold salad route. I will have to try this.
 
Kayb October 22, 2010
This sounds really good; I enjoy the nuttiness of wheatberries, and I can see it playing well with the roasted squash.