Roasted Root Vegetable Salad (with lots of variations)

Since they taste just as good at room temperature as they do hot, roots are presented here in an appetizing roasted root vegetable salad. Roasting root vegetables in a hot oven is the best way to bring out their mellow, slightly sweet flavors; they make eating salad in the fall and winter a lot more tempting.

Root vegetables are abundant in the cooler months, and come in so many earthy hues. This salad is easy enough to make as an everyday meal, and festive enough to serve at winter holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Common root vegetables and tubers to use for this salad

You can vary this dish each time you make it, choosing from among these roots and tubers:

• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Sweet potatoes
• Red or golden beets
• Carrots
• Jícama
• Rutabaga

Among the less commonly available roots that you may enjoy swapping in: 

• Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes),
• Yuca (cassava)
• Taro
• Celeriac
• Kohlrabi
• Daikon radish

Recipe is from Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. Photos by Susan Voisin, FatFreeVegan.com.

Explore more …

• Gorgeous winter salads
• Delicious Oven-Roasted Vegetable Recipes.
• Classic Roasted Root Vegetables with Lots of Variations
• Easy Roasted Vegetable Dishes That Hardly Need Recipes
• Miso Roasted Root Vegetables
• Roasted Rutabaga with Beets, Carrots & Parsnips
• Balsamic Maple Roasted Root Vegetables with Brussels Sprouts

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Yield: 6 to 8

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad 

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Roasted root vegetables, with their natural sweetness, are delicious on fresh greens in salad.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 cups peeled and diced root vegetables (see Note)
• 1 diced red apple
• 1 small or medium bulb fennel, sliced, optional
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To finish

• 3 to 4 ounces mixed baby greens
• Vinaigrette or other favorite dressing, as needed
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F.
2. Dice the root vegetables fairly evenly, and not too thinly—slices (such as parsnip or daikon radish) should be about 1/2-inch thick; cut other vegetables into 3/4-inch dice. 
3. Combine the cut vegetables with the apple and optional fennel in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, syrup, thyme and basil and stir together.
4. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled large roasting pan (line it with foil first if you’d like). Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, or until the vegetables are just tender and touched with golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Season gently with salt and pepper.
6. When ready to serve, combine the roasted vegetables with the the greens in a serving container. Drizzle in enough dressing to moisten the salad and toss gently. Scatter the pumpkin seeds over the top and serve.

Notes

Choose 3 or 4 from among parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, carrot, and red or golden beets), rutabaga, and any other root vegetables you might enjoy.

Among the less common but still failry common roots include sunchokes, yuca, celeriac, kohlrabi, jicama, daikon radish, and black radish.

See lots more easy vegan salads & sides.