Roasted Tomato + Squash Grain Bowl
There is a brief stretch of the year when the farmers market can't quite decide what season it is.
Tomatoes are still sweet and plentiful, but the first winter squash has started appearing. The days may still feel warm, but dinner is beginning to call for something a little more substantial.
This bowl was made for that in-between season.
Roasting the tomatoes and squash together brings out their sweetness, while fresh greens keep the bowl from feeling too heavy. Add a grain, something salty and creamy like feta, a handful of pumpkin seeds for crunch, and a maple-Dijon dressing that pulls everything together.
Best of all, think of this less as a strict recipe and more as a formula you can come back to all season.
Pick Your Grain
Farro gives the bowl a hearty, chewy texture, but this recipe works beautifully with several grains.
Farro → hearty and chewy
Quinoa → lighter and naturally gluten-free
Brown rice → familiar, satisfying and easy to find
Already have cooked grains in the refrigerator? Use those. This is exactly the kind of recipe that can start with what you already have.
Why Roast the Tomatoes?
You could certainly add fresh tomatoes at the end, but roasting them alongside the squash changes the bowl. They soften, become intensely juicy and begin to caramelize around the edges.
And there's something particularly fitting about roasting late-summer tomatoes. It's almost like giving a summer ingredient its first fall treatment.
Build Your Bowl
Start with: farro, quinoa or brown rice
Add something green: spinach or arugula
Roast: squash + tomatoes
Add something creamy: feta
Add some crunch: pumpkin seeds
Finish with: maple-Dijon dressing
Ready to Make It?
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30–35 minutes
Ingredients
For the bowl
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes, about 3 cups
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups cooked farro, quinoa or brown rice
3 cups baby spinach or arugula
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
For the maple-Dijon dressing
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Add the squash to the pan and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. Toss gently and roast for another 12–15 minutes, until the squash is tender and the tomatoes have softened.
Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Divide the cooked grain and greens among four bowls. Add the roasted squash and tomatoes.
Finish with feta, pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of maple-Dijon dressing.
Make It Yours
The easiest way to use this recipe is to think of it as a template. Have goat cheese instead of feta? Use it. Have arugula instead of spinach? Perfect. Add chickpeas or chicken if you'd like something more substantial. If pumpkin seeds aren't in the pantry, walnuts or pecans would give you that same little bit of crunch.
The goal isn't to recreate the photograph perfectly.
It's to build a bowl that works with what's in your kitchen.
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