Autumn Roasted Vegetable Salad with Balsamic Date Vinaigrette

If you’re searching for a holiday side dish that’s both impressive and nourishing, look no further than this Autumn Roasted Vegetable Salad! This vegan recipe features a variety of roasted root vegetables, chewy farro, and fresh kale. But the true magic happens when you toss it into the sweet and tangy balsamic date vinaigrette. Such a fun and unique dish to add to your holiday table!

Servings people

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Equipment

cutting board
knife
peeler
extra large baking sheet or 2 normal baking sheets
blender or food processor
medium pot
colander
large salad bowl + tongs

Ingredients

For the Autumn Roasted Vegetables:

1 lb beets
1 lb parsnips or turnips *
12 oz sweet potato
8 oz carrots
2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme or 1 tsp dried
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary or 1 tsp dried
1 tbsp fresh chopped sage or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper

For the Salad:

½ cup dry farro **
1 ⅓ cups broth or water
3 cups shredded kale (3oz)

For the Balsamic Date Vinaigrette:

¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
¼ cup water
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar ***
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 pitted medjool dates
kosher salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions

First, preheat your oven to 425F. Then, you can either peel all your vegetables or leave them unpeeled. I prefer to peel the beets and turnips, but just scrub clean the sweet potato and carrots. Then, chop everything into large chunks - I recommend about 1" for the sweet potato and carrots, and a bit smaller (½-¾") for the beets and turnips since they take longer to cook.
1 lb beets, 1 lb parsnips or turnips, 12 oz sweet potato, 8 oz carrots
Add all of the chopped vegetables to an extra large baking sheet (21x15") or two normal sized baking sheets. Drizzle olive oil and seasonings evenly over top. Use your hands to toss the vegetables until coated. Then, spread out evenly on the baking sheet(s), trying to minimize overlap.
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme, 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary, 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp black pepper
Transfer baking sheet(s) to the oven and roast for about 35 minutes or until fork tender. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before adding to the salad.
While the vegetables are roasting, add farro and broth or water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Then, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to stand, covered, for 5 more minutes. Drain off excess liquid and let it cool down a bit.
½ cup dry farro, 1 ⅓ cups broth or water
In a small food processor or blender, add the dates, balsamic vinegar, water, dijon and salt & pepper. Blend until the dates are finely chopped up and incorporated. Then, add in the oil and blend again until a smooth, somewhat thick dressing forms.
3 pitted medjool dates, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup water, 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp dijon mustard, kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Before assembling the salad, I like to quickly massage the kale with a small amount of olive oil to get rid of some of the bitterness and make it a softer texture.
3 cups shredded kale
Add kale, farro and roasted vegetables to a large salad bowl. Then, drizzle the balsamic date vinaigrette over top and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

*NOTE: My grocery store was out of parsnips so I used turnips instead but I would recommend parsnips if you can find them! They are a bit sweeter and more carrot-like.

**NOTE: If you are gluten free, I would recommend substituting quinoa instead. Cook it according to your package instructions (the ratio of quinoa to broth/water will likely be different than what I have listed in the recipe).

***NOTE: White balsamic is a bit milder, less sweet, and of course lighter in color than normal balsamic vinegar. However, if you don't want to buy any, you can just substitute normal balsamic and expect a slightly different flavor.

Calories: 343kcal

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Autumn, Balsamic, Dates, Fall Recipe, Farro, Holiday Recipes, Kale, Roasted Vegetables, Root Vegetables, Salad, Salad Dressing, Side Dish, Vinaigrette

Nutrition