Name: Autumn Fregula Salad
Total time: 30
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons fennel seeds; 2 teaspoons coriander seeds; 2 tablespoons minced shallot; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey; 2 cups cooked fregula, cooled; 2 cups thinly sliced lacinato kale; 1 cup jarred pickled beets, drained and chopped; 1 large Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple, cored and sliced thin; ½ cup dried sour cherries; ½ cup store-bought candied pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped; ½ cup shaved ricotta salata or feta cheese; ¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Why This Recipe Works

Tender fregula provides a soft, chewy base for this colorful fall salad bursting with different flavors and shifting textures. Shredded kale adds structure that holds up even tossed with vinaigrette and held for hours in the fridge. Sweet apple and tart dried cherries play off briny ricotta salata and sweet-sour pickled beets, and fresh herbs keep the whole thing tasting bright rather than heavy. The real trick, though, is in the vinaigrette. Toasting the fennel and coriander seeds before grinding them coaxes out aromatic compounds that stay dormant in raw spices, giving the dressing a warm, toasty backbone that perfumes the entire salad rather than just seasoning its surface.

Before You Begin

Pearl barley and pearl couscous can be used in place of fregula.

Instructions

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE: Toast 2 teaspoons fennel seeds and 2 teaspoons coriander seeds in small dry skillet over medium-heat until fragrant and light brown, 1½ to 2 minutes. Transfer to mortar and pestle and let cool, then grind to coarse powder.

Whisk 2 tablespoons minced shallot, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and spices together in large bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper.

FOR THE SALAD: Add 2 cups cooked and cooled fregula; 2 cups thinly sliced lacinato kale; 1 cup jarred pickled beets, drained and chopped; 1 large Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple, cored and sliced thin; and ½ cup dried sour cherries to vinaigrette and toss to combine (salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours).

Fold in ½ cup store-bought candied pecans, roughly chopped; shaved ricotta salata; and ¼ cup chopped dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.