Roasted Vegetable Salad
Roasting vegetables is a great way to enhance flavor, improve texture, and rescue older vegetables that you might otherwise throw out. For example, I roasted cherry tomatoes that were a bit shriveled and soft to preserve their bright flavor, color, and modify the texture.
Roasting is a great way to prep your vegetables ahead of time for easy meals because it doesn’t take a whole lot of active time and they store well in containers in the fridge.
You can roast pretty much any vegetable, but here’s some ideas of what works best:
- roots: carrots, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, beets
- greens & brassicas: cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale
- alliums: onions, garlic, leeks
- squashes of all kinds
- you can also roast fruits like peaches, nectarines, berries, and even apples!
Wash and peel vegetables as needed.
Chop into bite sized or manageable pieces. Combine on a baking sheet or roasting pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings.
Roast on high heat, 425℉ or so, until soft enough to pierce with a fork.
Remove from oven, let cool, and store in closed containers in the fridge until use.
We’re going to roast broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, and onions to have on top of a mixed green salad. Tomatoes and berries will provide a pop of color, quinoa will add some texture and added nutrients, and we’ll mix up a vinaigrette dressing to go with it.
Basic Vinaigrette
- 1 part vinegar
- 3 parts oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- additional seasonings, like fresh garlic, herbs, sauces, or jams
Vinegar: red wine, balsamic, apple cider, white wine, rice, champagne
- you can substitute some or all vinegar for another acid, like lemon or lime juice
- or replace it with mustard!
Oil: olive, walnut, avocado oil
- use tahini for a nutty flavor
- replace some or all of the oil with a fresh avocado for a creamy dressing
