Roasted Root Vegetable Salad is a warm and hearty vegetarian side dish that's perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's made with oven roasted root vegetables with rosemary and kale, and topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds!
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Table of Contents
This post was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated with new text, photos and adjustments to the recipe.
Inspiration for this roasted root vegetable salad
This salad was inspired by a lunch I had at a local restaurant a few years ago. It was early fall and I had ordered a spinach salad with roasted beets, parsnip and butternut squash, topped with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds. The goat cheese was a bit melty from the warm vegetables and the pumpkin seeds added texture and crunch.
After lunch, I immediately stopped at a local market, picked up a range of root vegetables and went home to recreate the salad. Now, this salad is a staple during root vegetable season, and always makes an appearance at our Thanksgiving table.
Roasted root vegetables for Thanksgiving
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I know it's a few months away for my American friends, but it's just a month away here in Canada. So, naturally, we're already talking about our Thanksgiving menu, which is one of our favourites to prepare and eat. (We love it so much, we also celebrate the US Thanksgiving!)
If you're planning ahead for Thanksgiving, here are a few other roasted root vegetable recipes we'll be preparing:
- Air Fryer Carrots, with savoury, spicy and sweet seasoning options included in the recipe.
- Roasted Beet Salad with Maple Walnuts, is loaded with greens, goat cheese, roasted carrots and beets, and topped with a cranberry balsamic dressing (my go-to holiday salad dressing).
- Air Fryer Beets, with a simple seasoning of salt, pepper and oil, they turn out sweet and caramelized around the edges.
How to roast root vegetables
- Peel and chop your veggies in roughly the same size. The beets tend to take a little longer to roast, so you may wish to cut them into slightly smaller pieces. (I usually just cut them the same size as I don't mind my beets a little firm).
- Toss the veggies with a good amount of oil. You don't want them to be too greasy but if you don't add enough oil, they will be too dry.
- Don't overcrowd the pan or cover the veggies while roasting. If you crowd or cover the veggies, they will steam instead of roast. I like to use my large 12-inch cast iron skillet, but for even greater space, use a large baking sheet.
- For caramelized root veggies, roast them at a high temperature. I usually roast them at 425F for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they don't burn. This is for 1-inch pieces. If you cut your veggies into smaller pieces, you should reduce the roasting time.
How to assemble this salad
- While the veggies are roasting, prep your kale by placing it in a large bowl with some salt and massage it for a few minutes until it shrinks a bit in size.
- Once the veggies are ready, add the kale to the pan and stir to combine. This will warm the kale and wilt it a bit.
- Divide into bowls and serve with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds.
Storage and reheating
- How to store: If you're making this salad in advance or think you'll have leftovers, don't combine the kale and veggies in the pan. You'll want to store them separately in the refrigerator in airtight containers. The roasted vegetables will keep for 3-4 days if stored properly.
- How to reheat: When ready to enjoy this salad, arrange the root vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet and reheat in the oven at 425F for 4-5 minutes. Once warmed, combine with the kale and add the goat cheese and pumpkin seeds.
- Can you freeze roasted root vegetables?: While you can freeze roasted veggies, I don't recommend it. I find the texture to be a little too soft and rubbery once they're defrosted and reheated.
Additional recipe tips and substitutions
- I used kale in this salad because the heartiness pairs well with the root vegetables. If you prefer, you can substitute spinach or arugula, just note that you won't need to massage it or let it wilt with the warm veggies.
- The recipe calls for fresh rosemary, but you can also use dried rosemary, just reduce the amount to one-third.
- If you don't have access to some of the root veggies in this recipe, just use more of one of the other veggies.
- While it's not a root vegetable, I've also made this recipe with butternut squash. Just make sure to cut the squash into slightly larger pieces as it roasts quicker than the other veggies.
- The beets will add some discolouration to the other veggies, so just keep that in mind for presentation purposes. If you can find golden or candy cane beets, feel free to use them instead.
- To keep this salad dairy-free, just forego the goat cheese.
- In place of the pumpkin seeds, try sunflower seeds or savoury pecan granola.
Other Thanksgiving side dishes you might enjoy
- Healthy Cranberry Sauce is refined sugar-free with the flavour of orange and blackberries, sweetened with maple syrup and thickened with chia seeds.
- Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup is sweet and smoky with hints of coconut and spice. It's dairy-free and makes a delicious appetizer. You can also make it a meal by adding leftover ham from your Thanksgiving dinner.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a little sweet, tart and savoury, with fresh cranberries, prosciutto and maple syrup.
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash Home Fries are sweet and spicy with a simple mix of spices, herbs and maple syrup. You can also free up valuable oven space during the holidays by preparing this side dish in the air fryer.
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
- ½ + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups chopped beets
- 1 ½ cups chopped sweet potato
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced parsnip
- 1 small red onion, sliced lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ + ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups kale, packed, stems removed and torn
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large baking sheet with ½ tablespoon of oil.
- In a large bowl, add the beet, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip and onion and top with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic and pepper. Stir until the vegetables are well coated.
- Place the veggies in the skillet or spread out on the baking sheet.
- Roast in oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked to your desired tenderness. (Stir them a few times to ensure they don't burn).
- While the vegetables are roasting, add the kale and remaining ⅛ teaspoon of salt to a large bowl and massage the kale to soften it.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, remove from oven and add the kale. Stir until combined and let sit for a few minutes until the kale wilts a bit.
- Divide veggies and kale into small bowls and top with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Chop/slice your veggies into roughly 1-inch pieces. The beets tend to take a little longer to roast, so you may wish to cut them into slightly smaller pieces.
- Don't overcrowd the pan or cover the veggies while roasting as they will steam instead of roast.
- I used kale in this salad but you can substitute spinach or arugula. Just note that you won't need to massage it or let it wilt with the warm veggies.
- The recipe calls for fresh rosemary, but you can also use dried rosemary, just reduce the amount to one-third.
- If you don't have access to some of the root vegetables in this recipe, just use more of one of the other veggies.
- The beets will add some discolouration to the other veggies, so just keep that in mind for presentation purposes. If you can find golden or candy cane beets, feel free to use them instead.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
Did you make this recipe or have any questions?
I love reading your comments and addressing your questions, so please leave your comments and ratings or questions below!
2pots2cook says
So nutritious, heart warming autumn beauty ! Love this kind of dishes for my office lunch !
Leanne says
Thank you! It's a good one for reheating as a desk lunch!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs says
This salad is absolutely stunning!! Roasted veggies are always a favorite. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I might need to borrow your idea and start celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving too!
Leanne says
Haha yes, you should totally celebrate two Thanksgivings! Thanks Tasia!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
Roasted veggies are like candy to me (10 year old me would be shocked at this)! Yours look WONDERFUL. I love rosemary with veggies! We actually just did rosemary with potatoes tonight. I've gotta give this salad a try!
Leanne says
I feel the same way about roasted veggies Katherine! And rosemary is wonderful!
Marissa says
What a gorgeous, nutritious dish! Perfect for holiday sides, but also something I want to eat on repeat throughout the fall and winter. My kind of feel good food!
Leanne says
Thanks Marissa! It's definitely a good one to enjoy for the next number of months!