Roasted Vegetable Salad
This is the best roasted vegetable salad I’ve ever eaten made with roasted root vegetables, artisan greens, sharp white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries and raw pumpkin seeds topped with a delicious white wine honey vinaigrette dressing. I call it “crack salad” because it will leave you craving seconds!
I love making hearty main dish salads. We eat them a lot for dinner in the summertime, but even in the fall and winter months, I crave an epic, nutrient-packed, salad creation. This winter fruit salad with key lime poppyseed dressing is one of my favorites for the cooler months with seasonal fall fruit. I also adore fig salads. This prosciutto fig salad with fig balsamic dressing is a must-try made with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and salty prosciutto ham. So dang good! I honestly never feel deprived when eating these tasty and filling salad recipes.
If you haven’t tried combining roasted vegetables with nuts, cheese, and salad greens, you’re in for a real treat. It’s the best combination of texture and flavor. I made this roasted sweet potato salad for the blog a couple of years ago. It’s another awesome roasted vegetable salad variation made with leafy greens, roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed pancetta, walnuts, and goat cheese.
First, Roast The Vegetables
The first step to making this salad recipe is to prep and roast the veggies. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and flavor of the vegetables you’re cooking. It’s my favorite method of cooking root vegetables. By the way, if you haven’t tried these rosemary roasted sweet potatoes, you need to make them ASAP! They are one of my favorite holiday side dishes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and chop the root vegetables and toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the coarse salt in a large bowl.
Spread vegetables onto a roasting pan sprayed or rubbed with a little olive oil. Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through. If you aren’t a fan of parsnips, you can substitute baby purple potatoes or extra carrot and/or sweet potato.
Next, Make The White Wine Honey Vinaigrette
While the veggies are roasting, make the easy vinaigrette dressing. Pour the remaining 2 ounces of extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, finely chopped fresh parsley (or your favorite fresh herb of choice), minced garlic, and salt and pepper in a mason jar or shaker bottle.
Shake to mix and set aside while you construct the salad.
In a large salad bowl, add the mixed greens, roasted vegetables, chopped sharp cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, avocado, and raw pumpkin seeds. Toss to mix. If desired, drizzle some of the dressing on the salad and toss to coat. I like to serve the dressing on the side for everyone to add their own. I also serve this salad with a good quality white balsamic vinegar for drizzling.
This gorgeous salad is full of color, texture, and flavor!
Recipe Tip
Boost the protein in this recipe by adding diced roasted or grilled chicken.
Roasted Vegetable Salad with White Wine Honey Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb whole carrots peeled
- 1/2 lb parsnips peeled
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper or to taste
- 10 oz mixed leafy artisan greens
- 1 avocado seeded and chopped
- 4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
- 2 tsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- Rinse, peel and chop vegetables into 1-inch cubes/pieces
- Toss vegetables in the 3 tbsp olive oil and salt
- Spread onto a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray
- Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through
- While veggies are roasting, prepare the dressing by combining 2 tbsp olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh parsley, minced garlic, honey and salt and pepper in a mason jar or shaker bottle. Shake to mix and set aside for flavors to mingle.
- When vegetables are done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool a bit.
- Now it's time to construct the salad. In a large salad bowl, add the mixed greens, roasted veggies, sharp cheddar, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and chopped avocado. Drizzle with dressing right before serving and season with salt and fresh pepper to taste. You can also serve the vinaigrette on the side or use your own favorite vinaigrette recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
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