BEST Fall Harvest Superfood Salad
- NHuszcz
- Nov 7, 2023
- 2 min read
This Fall harvest salad is the best, most satisfying salad you will eat and it will undoubtedly be on repeat. Packed with superfoods and nutrients, this salad is healthy, robust, and DELICIOUS! It works perfectly as a standalone meal or pairs as a perfect side dish with any protein. Eat it hot or cold, you can't go wrong! Don't be shy to make a big batch as it will not go uneaten! Perfect for meal prep or big families, you won't be able to get enough!
INGREDIENTS:
For the Roast Vegetables | For the Salad | For the Vinaigrette |
|---|---|---|
Pick your favorites! We used: | ​Any greens will work! We used: | There's wiggle room! We used: |
2x Yellow Onions | Fresh Baby Spinach | 2 Tbs Olive Oil |
1x Butternut Squash | Cooked Quinoa | 1 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar |
1x Large Sweet Potato | Dried Cranberries | 1 tsp Whole Grain Mustard |
1-2 Carrots | Sliced Almonds | 1 tsp Local Honey |
1-2 Beets | Crumbled Feta | 1 Clove Garlic - minced |
1x Jalapeño (optional) | ​ | Chili Flakes (optional) |
Handful of Grape Tomatoes | ​ | Salt & Pepper to taste |
Bell Pepper (any color!) | ​ | ​ |
2x Head of Garlic | ​ | ​ |
Herbs de Provence | ​ | ​ |
Olive Oil | ​ | ​ |
METHOD:
STEP 1: Cook the quinoa according to package directions. We used 1 cup of dry quinoa, rinsed it well, and made it in the rice cooker on the brown rice setting. If you're serving the salad cold, place it in the refrigerator after cooking to chill.
STEP 2: Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease your baking dish with cooking spray (we used two baking dishes to not overcrowd the veggies). Wash all of your vegetables, (we love using the ENJO Fruit & Veggie Cloth), then chop everything into bite-sized pieces. For the butternut squash, be sure to remove the skin and scoop out the seeds and stringy center. For the garlic, chop off the top, place each head on a separate piece of tin foil, and drizzle olive oil into the center, then wrap it up.
STEP 3: Toss the cut, bite-sized pieces of squash, sweet potato, onion, carrot, beets, and jalapeño in a large bowl with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of Herbs de Provence. Do not include the tomato, bell pepper, or any other softer vegetables at this point. When everything is lightly seasoned and coated, lay it out in a single layer on a baking dish (or two baking dishes as needed). Bake for 30 minutes. After half an hour, add the tomatoes and bell peppers, then continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes until all vegetables are fork tender or cooked to your liking.
STEP 4: While the veggies are roasting, prepare the vinaigrette. Combine 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp mustard, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 Tbs red wine vinegar, 2 Tbs olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste. Mix well making sure the honey gets well incorporated.
STEP 5: In a large bowl, toss the chilled quinoa with your desired amount of spinach or leafy greens along with your freshly prepared vinaigrette. The roasted vegetables will have plenty of flavor on their own, this ensures that your grains and greens have a burst of flavor and a nicer mouth-feel. Once dressed, add your roasted vegetables to the bowl and gently mix through. Be careful not to mush or mash your veggies! Top with a sprinkle of crumbled feta, dried cranberries for added sweetness, and sliced almonds for extra texture.
STEP 6: Serve and ENJOY!!!
NOTES: The roasted vegetables will last several days in airtight containers in the fridge and they work brilliantly as leftovers, meal prep, or additions to different dinners. Only dress the amount of spinach you will eat in a sitting as the greens will get soggy and not save well.