Vegan Farro and Sweet Potato Salad with Tahini-Sumac Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized orange-flesh sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, for seasoning sweet potatoes
• 2 cups farro
• 4 cups hot vegetable stock
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 T Spanish Sherry Vinegar
• 1 T Tahini
• 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning
• 2 tsp. brown sugar, Granulated Stevia, or sweetener of your choice
• 2 tsp powdered Sumac
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400F/200C. Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into half inch dice. In a bowl, coat the sweet potatoes with 1 T olive oil and thyme, and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Arrange the sweet potatoes in one even layer on a large baking sheet coated with non-stick spray or olive oil. Roast them for about 40 minutes, turning them a few times as they cook, until they are tender and lightly browned.
3. As the sweet potatoes are roasting, warm the vegetable stock in the microwave or on the stove. Put the Farro in a dry pan and cook it, stirring, until it smells toasty, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour in the hot stock, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and cook it covered at a simmer until the Farro is tender with a little chew left, about 35 minutes.
5. Tip the Farro into a colander so any unabsorbed stock can drain away, then set it aside to cool. Farro comes in different forms, and this timing is for semi-pearled Farro, which keeps some of its bran. Whole Farro will need more time, and pearled Farro will be faster, so if the type is unclear, begin checking after about 30 minutes.
6. Stir together the sherry vinegar, Tahini, Spike Seasoning, your chosen sweetener, and Ground Sumac, then whisk in the olive oil to finish the dressing.
7. Once the sweet potatoes are ready, put them in a bowl large enough for the finished salad and toss them with 2 tablespoons of dressing. When the Farro has cooled down quite a bit, carefully combine the sweet potatoes, Farro, and sliced green onions with the remaining dressing.
8. In a dry pan, toast the pine nuts only until they just begin to color, then add them to the salad, holding back a few for garnish if you’d like. Serve the salad warm or at room temperature.