Roasted Vegetable Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

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This roasted vegetable salad is a vibrant and hearty dish that showcases the best cool-weather root veggies and greens: sweet potato, celery root, beets and kale. The simple vinaigrette brings everything together, with goat cheese adding a creamy finish. Feel free to swap out any of the root vegetables for another of your choice. Butternut squash, turnips or carrots would all work well.

a recipe photo of the Roasted Vegetable Salad
Photo:

Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser

Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Servings:
6

This Roasted Vegetable Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette is simple to make but has a surprisingly complex flavor profile. The sweet potato, celery root and beets become slightly caramelized, bringing out their natural sweetness. At the same time, roasting creates a crisp exterior on the cannellini beans, which provide a delightful pop when you bite into them. Antioxidant-rich kale brings a bit of freshness to this salad and is massaged until tender with the sweet-tart vinaigrette. And toasty pecans add an amazing crunch that complements the creamy goat cheese. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to prep the celery root.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

  • To prepare the celery root, slice off the top and bottom. Due to its tough and bumpy skin, it’s best to strip off the skin from top to bottom using a knife rather than using a vegetable peeler.
  • Massage the kale to tenderize it and help break down some of its tough fibrous membranes.
  • You can roast the cannellini beans on a separate baking sheet, toss with oil and sprinkle with salt if you want them to get even crispier in the oven.
  • Add cooked farro for a more filling salad.

Nutrition Notes

  • Sweet potato, celery root and beets are all nutritious root vegetables that are loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants and gut-friendly fiber. Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin A for healthy vision, and vitamin C to help support your immune system. Celery root, also known as celeriac, is the root of the celery plant. Celery root is rich in vitamin K, which is necessary for strong bones and blood clotting. Beets are high in nitrates, which have been shown to reduce blood pressure. This, together with the potassium in all three root vegetables, make this a great dish for those with hypertension. 
  • Kale is a hearty leafy green that can be a little tough to chew when eaten raw. This is remedied by massaging the dressing into the kale to help soften it up. Kale adds to the antioxidant, fiber and vitamin A, K and C content of this dish. It also provides some bone-building calcium. 
  • Besides adding a toasty texture to this dish, pecans add fiber, plant protein, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. They rank as one of the top nuts with the highest level of heart-healthy unsaturated fats. They also have the highest level of carbs, making them a well-rounded nut. 
  • Goat cheese is tangy and creamy and adds several nutrients to this dish, including protein and calcium. It’s also rich in vitamin A, which supports eye health and immunity. Goat cheese is lower in sodium than most cheeses and is a great substitute for salty feta, especially if you’re watching your sodium intake.
the ingredients to make the Roasted Vegetable Salad

Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser

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Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

  • 3 cups cubed peeled sweet potato (¾-inch; about 1 large)

  • 2 cups cubed peeled celery root (¾-inch; about 2 medium)

  • 2 cups cubed peeled beets (¾-inch; about 2 large)

  • 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons honey

  • ½ teaspoon salt, divided

  • 6 cups chopped stemmed kale (about 1 large bunch)

  • 1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped and toasted

  • ½ cup crumbled goat cheese (2 ounces)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F with racks in top third and lower third positions.

  2. Whisk 2 tablespoons oil and ½ teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add 3 cups sweet potatoes, 2 cups celery root, 2 cups beets and rinsed cannellini beans; toss to coat. Divide the mixture between 2 large rimmed baking sheets, spreading in an even layer.

     a photo of the vegetables, cheese, and beans on a sheet pan

    Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser

  3. Roast until the vegetables are browned in spots and the beans are crispy, about 30 minutes, rotating the pans between the top and bottom racks halfway through.

  4. Meanwhile, whisk 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, ¼ teaspoon salt and the remaining 4 tablespoons oil and ½ teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl until combined.

    a photo of the vinaigrette ingredients whisked together

    Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser

  5. Place 6 cups kale in a large bowl; add half of the vinaigrette and massage with clean hands until the kale is bright green and the volume is reduced by about half. Add the roasted vegetables, 1 cup toasted pecans and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Top with ½ cup goat cheese.

    a photo of the kale in a bowl

    Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can this salad be made ahead of time?

    Yes, it can. A dressed salad will last for 2 days in the refrigerator. You can also get a head start on the vegetables by roasting them up to 3 days before assembling the salad.

  • Can I make this recipe with other vegetables?

    Absolutely! A couple of our favorite substitutions include using sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash, or swapping the celery root for turnips.

  • How do you keep roasted vegetables from getting mushy?

    To avoid mushy vegetables, follow these simple rules: Preheat the oven to a high temperature. Use a sheet pan with a low rim and allow for enough space around each vegetable. If the vegetables are too crowded, they will steam rather than roast. Halfway through cooking, rotate the pans on the oven racks. You can turn the vegetables over if you wish, but you don’t have to with this recipe.

  • What should I serve with roasted vegetable salad?

    This salad is a meal in itself. However, you could serve it over a favorite grain or with bread. Another option is to stuff the salad into a pita pocket.

EatingWell.com, September 2024

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

441 Calories
29g Fat
38g Carbs
11g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Serving Size 1⅔ cups
Calories 441
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 11g 22%
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Vitamin A 580µg
Vitamin C 25mg 28%
Vitamin D 0µg
Vitamin E 3mg 21%
Folate 123µg
Vitamin K 125µg
Sodium 400mg 17%
Calcium 135mg 10%
Iron 4mg 21%
Magnesium 95mg 23%
Potassium 881mg 19%
Zinc 2mg 19%
Vitamin B12 0µg
Omega 3 0g

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by
Carrie Myers, M.S.
Carrie Myers
Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a freelance writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic.
and
Linda Frahm

Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications, such as Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, and has edited cookbooks for Dovetail Press and The Taste Curators.

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