Fall Fonio Salad

This vegan-friendly and gluten-free Fall Fonio salad is the perfect fall dish. It is beautiful, packed with nutrients and customizable.

Why this fonio salad is perfect for fall

Fall is my favourite season for food. I find that there is more variety to having both fresh ingredients as well as well fall root vegetables and hearty greens. This Fonio salad allows you to incorporate all your favourite fall produce into a recipe that is perfect for any fall dish. As my blog is dedicated to showcasing African ingredients and foods, this recipe is the perfect way to incorporate one of my favourite gluten-free African grains– fonio and my favourite natural food colour additive — sorghum stems. If you want to learn all about fonio, please check my blog post on fonio (click here) and more details on the sorghum stem here (click here)

What you will need for this salad

• Fonio: Fonio is a gluten-free grain from West Africa. It has an earthy taste and is very nutritious. It also cooks in less than 10 minutes. For more details on fonio and vendors, please check out my fonio blog post. (click here)
• Sorghum Stalks: These stems are usually used in a traditional Ghanaian dish called Waakye (click here). These stems give the fonio salad its bright pink colour. They can be purchased at any West African grocery store. Check my FAQ for more details (FAQ)
• Fall Veggies: I love using a combination of squash, Brussels sprouts, pepper and tomatoes. You can literally use any fall vegetable you want to make this salad. It is very customizable. I used butternut squash but 1 honey nut squash or acorn squash will be perfect. Frozen squash is also perfect.
• Vegan Yoghurt: this will serve as the base for the salad dressing. Yogurt has acidity and cooling properties that will bring all the flavours together
• Dried Nuts and Seeds: What makes a salad delicious are different textures. For this fall salad, I included dried cranberries and roasted pumpkin seeds. You can use whatever seeds you like.
• Seasoning: To add flavour to my fonio, I used my better-than-bouillon veggie broth base but feel free to use any all-purpose seasoning or vegetable broth instead of water to cook the fonio.

How to make this Fall Fonio Salad

1. I used the air fryer for this recipe but feel free to use an oven. Instructions are in the FAQ section.
2. In a pot, boil some water with better than bouillon and sorghum stems.
3. Cook the fonio and set aside
4. Prep fall veggies and air fry in sequential order starting with the squash, then Brussels sprouts, then tomatoes and tomatoes.
5. Mix the salad with all the fix-ins.
6. Make the dressing with vegan yogurt, vinegar, and sweetener.

FAQ + Substitutions for Fall Fonio Salad

1. Can I use another grain? Yes, you can, just make sure to cook according to the packaging with the right water-to-grain ratio. Fonio works perfectly for this recipe.
2. Can I use an alternative for the sorghum stalks? You can actually use beet juice for the same colour.
3. What if I do not have an air fryer? You can roast all your veggies in the oven at 400°F for roughly 30 minutes. Just make sure to check in on the Brussels sprouts and tomatoes as they don’t take as long to bake as the squash.
4. How long does this recipe last? If it is not all gone by the end of the day, you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you like this recipe, make sure to check out these other Fonio recipes.

• Summer Fonio Salad
• Mushroom Fonio Pilaf
• Savoury Fonio Porridge

If you try this recipe, make sure to leave a comment below with your experience and also share on social media. Please tag me @eatwithafia on all social media platforms.

Print Recipe

Fall Fonio Salad

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Fusion

Keyword: african ingredients, fonio, ghanaian recipes

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water
• 3 sorghum stalks
• 1/4 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of better-than-bouillon paste
• 1/2 cup of fonio
• 1.5 cups of Brussels sprouts
• 1 small squash finely chopped/ 1.5 cups of squash
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno deseeded optional
• 2 tbsp of dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds
• 3 heaping tbsp of vegan yogurt
• 2 tsp of vinegar of choice apple cider or red wine vinegar work well here
• 1/2 tsp sriracha optional
• 1/2 tsp of maple syrup or any sweetener of choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a pot at medium heat, boil the water and sorghum stalks together with the better-than-bouillon paste
• As the water is coming to a boil, add in the baking soda and let the water come to a proper boil for about 2-3 minutes
• Once the water has boiled, mix in the fonio and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cook for five minutes
• After the five minutes have passed, turn the stove off but leave the fonio covered and set aside.
• Prep your vegetables: chop your squash, cut your brussels sprouts in half and poke holes into your cherry tomatoes
• For your air fryer, set the temperature to 375°F. Spray with some oil and cook the squash for 10 minutes, then add in your Brussels sprouts and cook for another five minutes, then lastly, add in your tomatoes and jalapeno. Everything should be cooked in 20 minutes
• Assemble your salad: add the fonio, roasted veggies, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix your dressing with vegan yogurt, vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust components for your own taste
• Add in your dressing and mix everything well.
• Serve with your choice of protein.