Most nights salad is on the dinner menu in my house. The range of options for ingredients and the variety of dressings are endless. It’s also a great way to clean out the fridge and be creative. This salad combo brings together many of my favorite foods and it joins the ranks of comfort food with its warm dressing and roasted vegetables.

To assemble this salad you will need greens, roasted vegetables, a warm vinaigrette, and toppings if you have them available. See what you have in your cupboard or refrigerator and go to town. You might find ingredients lurking in there that you didn’t know you had. Don’t be afraid…toss them in and then grab a fork and dig in.

Ingredients

Roasted Vegetables:
2 lbs vegetables, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch pieces, about 6 cups (carrots, beets, squash, sweet potatoes, anything really), NOTE: check out Roastarama for more details
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Other Salad Stuff:
4 cups lightly packed, sturdy greens (baby kale, baby chard, escarole, endive, arugula, spinach)
1/4 cup toasted nuts (chopped) or seeds (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pinenuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup cheese, crumbled or diced (blue cheese, feta, goat cheese, cheddar, aged gouda, Parmigiano-Reggiano)
3 Tbsp dried fruit (cherries, raisins, cranberries, chopped figs, pitted chopped dates)

Dressing:
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
Kosher salt
1 tsp chopped ginger
2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp finely grated lime zest
2 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Vegetables:
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine vegetables with the oil and tsp salt and pepper. Toss well and transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Spread into single layer. Roast, flipping a few times while cooking. Cook 20 – 25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Let cool a bit before tossing with salad.

Vinaigrette:
Heat oil in 8 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly browned. Add ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant and softened, about 15 -30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, wish the vinegar, maple syrup, lime juice, lime zest, parsley, salt and pepper. Whisk the warm oil into the vinegar mixture until emulsified. Season to taste.

Assembly:
Lightly season the greens with salt and drizzle with 2 Tbsp warm vinaigrette. Toss, taste, and add a little more dressing if needed (but never over dress!). Arrange greens on a large platter. Dress vegetables with 2 Tbsp warm vinaigrette too (again, no over dressing, over dressing = mushy mess). Scatter vegetables over the greens. Top with nuts, cheese, dried fruit. Serve right away.

Bring It

If bringing this warm salad anywhere, bring each component in separate containers and assemble at the host’s house.