This simple to make Roasted Root Vegetable Quinoa Salad combines the best flavors of the season into one delicious salad!
I’ll have to ask you to forgive me for any typos today. I’m blaming the baby.
Skye has put herself on a new schedule for the last few weeks.
This new schedule involves skipping her afternoon nap, falling asleep way too early, getting up at 11 and 2:30 and then waking up again at 4:45am and refusing to go back to sleep until after I’ve fueled myself with coffee and it is much too late for me to get any more sleep. (Usually around 7am.)
Needless to say, we are a little tired around here. It is like having a newborn again, only instead of snuggling all day I get to chase after a busy girl that is full of energy and creeping around a house that has yet to be baby proofed.
Lucky for her she’s cute.
When you are this tired, there is only one thing that is going to make you feel better. Good, clean food. Today’s salad, brought to us by Renee from Nourish the Roots is just the kind of thing I need to power through the day when I’m sleep deprived. Aren’t those veggies just beautiful?
Wishing you a wonderful Sunday!
If You Like This Roasted Root Vegetable Quinoa Salad You May Also Like:
Roasted Root Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Roasted Root Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- For the Salad:
- 7 small beets peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 large carrots peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 large parsnips peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 large onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- olive oil for roasting
- sea salt
- 1 cup walnuts lightly toasted in a dry skillet
- 2 cups cooked quinoa 1 cup dry quinoa yields 2 cups cooked
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 large handful cilantro or parsley roughly chopped
- 3 handfuls of mixed salad greens
- For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2-3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- a few pinches of salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Toss the carrots and parsnips with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Spread them on half of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss the beets with olive oil and salt and put them on the other half of the lined baking sheet. (Keeping the beets separate from the carrots and parsnips helps to prevent all of your vegetables from turning red from the beets).
- Combine the onion and garlic with some olive oil and salt and put them on a separate parchment-lined baking sheet. Put both pans in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the root vegetables are tender and the onions are soft. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- In the meantime, combine the cooked quinoa, cooked chickpeas, salad greens, cilantro (or parsley), and walnuts in a large bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl and toss lightly just to combine. Serve on plates or bowls with lots of the delicious honey dijon dressing poured over top.
- Dressing
- While the vegetables are roasting, combine all of the dressing indredients in a bowl. Wisk until the dressing is emulsified. Alternativeley, add all the dressing ingredients to a small mason jar, screw the lid on tightly, and shake well. Taste the dressing and adjust to your liking (add more mustard, more honey, more olive oil, etc...) Pour the dressing over the finished salad and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About Renée:
Renee is a registered nurse who also happens to be the writer, food photographer, and recipe developer for her vegetarian blog, Nourish The Roots. After witnessing (and being terribly frustrated with) the conventional anti-holistic approach to medicine, she decided to follow her true passion. She pursued a career in food preparation and recipe development, nutrition, and holistic health. Renee has worked in various kitchens, both in New York and currently in Seattle, where she specializes in creating colorful, health-promoting food. Her blog, Nourish The Roots, showcases many of these delicious recipes along with eye-catching food photography. She believes that food is the best form of medicine and uses ingredients in her recipes that are whole, unprocessed, and full of health-promoting benefits. Her passion is writing about food, photographing gorgeous fresh produce, and teaching others how to live healthier lives by embracing a vibrant whole foods diet.
Root vegetables are SO good for you. Love this salad idea.