Winter Roasted Vegetable Salad with Grains

It’s happened. I found a salad recipe I love. True, it’s packed with roasted vegetables and hearty grains in addition to the baby kale…

But still, I absolutely love this recipe, and for a person who’s not really into salad, that is saying something!

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s CRAZY adaptable, takes very little hands-on time, and you can use store-bought ingredients to make things simpler. I used pre-cooked beets (I still went ahead and roasted them after), and a clamshell of baby kale which is tender and doesn’t need shredded.

This roasted vegetable salad is also a great dumping ground for other leftovers…I’ve tossed in roasted veggies, grilled chicken, and anything else that caught my fancy. It made a great make-ahead lunch for taking to work all week, and I actually *looked forward* to pulling it out of the fridge.

Besides swapping out the wild rice for a hearty grain like barley, and I played with the dressing proportions quite a bit…in particular, I decreased the olive oil so it makes less dressing but the flavor is stronger—so you need less and cut the calories down a little.

Because I use baby kale and it’s more tender, this works okay, and you can add the dressing ahead of time without everything getting too soggy. It packs a punch!

First, get the veggies roasting. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a sheet pan with tin foil or parchment paper. Toss the beets and sweet potatoes with some olive oil, then sprinkle with a little sea salt and garlic powder. Spread on the pans and roast, stirring every 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the cubes it will be 20-30 minutes.

If you have other vegetables, feel free to throw those in as well. I had leftover roasted brussels sprouts and grilled peppers that I tossed into the final salad just to use them up.

While the veggies are roasting, cook your grains according the package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, blend dressing ingredients together until smooth and emulsified.

You can go two different routes with serving it—big bowl or meal prep. You have two choices, big mix or meal prep individual containers.

If you’re going with the first one, combine your combine beets, sweet potatoes, grains, dried cherries, and pine nuts in a giant bowl and toss with the dressing. You can do this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for several days. Then serve on top of your greens and top with the goat cheese crumbles, pine nuts, dried cherries, and protein (if desired).

OR, go the meal prep route and get several smaller containers, and do it in layers.

I like to start with the grains on the bottom, then vegetables, then the baby kale, then toss all the other ingredients on top. I just drizzle the dressing on top, so everything doesn’t get as soggy sitting in the fridge.

Regardless, there’s no right way…follow your heart.

You can kind of see how I layered things in this terrible tupperware pic.

It’s a miracle…a salad I’m super excited to actually pull out of the fridge and eat for lunch at work!

Other healthy meals you’ll love:

Winter Grain & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Balsamic Dressing

3 large golden or red beets, diced small
3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
Olive oil, salt, and garlic powder for roasting
2-3 cups of cooked grain (farro or barley are my favorites)
1/2 cup of dried cherries or cranberries
8–10 cups of baby kale or other greens, roughly chopped
3/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
Grilled chicken or other protein if desired

Balsamic Dressing

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (optional but makes it creamier)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

Roasted Vegetables: Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a sheet pan with tin foil or parchment paper. Toss the beets and sweet potatoes with some olive oil, then sprinkle with a little sea salt and garlic powder. Spread on the pans and roast, stirring every 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the cubes it will be 20-30 minutes.
Grains: Cook your grains according the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Dressing: In a blender or food processor, blend dressing ingredients together until smooth and emulsified.
Mix: You have two choices, big mix or meal prep individual containers. If you’re going with the first one, combine your combine beets, sweet potatoes, grains, dried cherries, and pine nuts in a giant bowl and toss with the dressing. You can do this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for several days. OR, get several smaller containers and do it in layers. I like to start with the grains on the bottom, then vegetables, then the baby kale, then toss all the other ingredients on top. I just drizzle the dressing on top, so everything doesn’t get as soggy.
Assemble: Regardless of which you choose, top with the goat cheese crumbles, pine nuts, dried cherries, and protein (if desired).

Adapted from Pinch of Yum

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