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!
This post was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated with new text, photos and adjustments to the recipe. Scroll to the bottom to see an original photo!
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 roasted root vegetable salad, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.
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Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad is a warm and hearty vegetarian side dish that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s made with oven roasted root vegetables with rosemary and kale, and topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds!
Ingredients
- 1/2 + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cups chopped beets
- 1 1/2 cups chopped sweet potato
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced parsnip
- 1 small red onion, sliced lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups kale, packed, stems removed and torn
- 1/4 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 1/2 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, 1/2 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 1/8 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.
- Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
Keywords: oven roasted, rosemary, goat cheese, kale, Thanksgiving
This salad with these delicious root veggies looks perfect for the fall season! I really enjoy how you added some rosemary to elevate the flavours of the veggies!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Christie!
Such a hearty salad, perfect for fall! Gah, can’t believe Thanksgiving is next month!
★★★★★
I know! Time flies. Thanks Michelle!
I will be eating a lot of this vibrant hearty salad in the coming months! Looks incredibly appetizing and just imagining the aroma or rosemary roasted veggies is getting me really excited!
Thanks Milena! The smell of rosemary coming from the oven is wonderful!
Such a beautiful and flavoursome dish! Love this, Leanne!
★★★★★
Thanks Alex!
I have made this a few times now and it is always a crowd pleaser! Easy to follow recipe and delicious.
★★★★★
Thanks Terry! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy this salad!
What a beautiful side for Thanksgiving table. I must make this for Holidays, I just must!. I love the flavors and it’s so healthy. Thank you for this lovely recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Natalie! Hope you like it!
These colors make my soul sing – they are too good and look too nice 🙂 Fabulous way to enjoy vegetables this season and definitely a wonderful option for the holidays – yum!
★★★★★
Thanks Danielle!
What an amazing salad recipe this is. Looks so colorful and hearty. Perfect side dish to make during the holidays.
★★★★★
Thanks Pavani!
This looks like a perfect side dish for a thanksgiving or any fall meal! Pumpkin seeds are a great touch ..love those.
Pics are amazing
★★★★★
Thanks so much Terry! I’ll definitely be making this as a side dish throughout the fall! And I love the crunch the pumpkin seeds add! Have a great week!
Pinned and can’t wait to try it! I missed it for Thanksgiving but I’ll definitely be making it throughout these next couple of colder months!
★★★★★
Thanks Tanya! I hope you get a chance to make it. It is a nice hearty dish for cold evenings! And I have your cheesy brussel sprouts on my must make list! Perfect cold weather comfort food!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Leanne! Your menu sounded delicious too. I’m in love with everything about this dish and I’m definitely going to try it soon. I love that it’s topped with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds!
★★★★★
Thanks Marcie! We had a lovely Thanksgiving. I cooked so much food that we were eating leftovers most of the week! I’d love to know what you think if you make this recipe. And the goat cheese and pumpkin seeds on top might be my fave part!
We eat with our eyes first, and this has me all filled up before even taking one bite! Love the colors, textures and flavor, of course! Beautiful holiday dish!!
Aww! Thanks so much Annie! This recipe definitely has lots of different textures going on!
I’m bookmarking this one for our Thanksgiving! Roasting is my favorite way to prepare veggies and I love the addition of pumpkin seeds and goat cheese. This sounds so good!
★★★★★
Thanks Kelsie! I love roasting veggies too! Especially this time of year. They add such a cozy vibe to meals. Let me know what you think if you make this one!
Recreating restaurant meals at home is so fun and much healthy! I love doing it
Yes, so much healthier, and cheaper! 😉 Happy Monday Patrick!
I love it when you can recreate restaurant meals at home! This one looks jam packed with lots of goodies and would definitely go over well in our home. I bet it’s even better than the original 😉 Love the goat cheese on there – there hasn’t been a cheese that I don’t love, lol. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Leanne 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks Dawn! The re-creation worked out well! Getting inspiration is one of the main reasons I enjoy eating out these days! And yes to goat cheese! It’s one of my favourites to add to salads. Hope you’re have a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend!