As September rolls around here in South Africa and we feel the need to prepare ourselves for an early and very hot summer. Root vegetables are still very much having their moment, but lighter, fresher ingredients are beginning to make their way onto the plate. This roasted root vegetable salad sits neatly in that seasonal crossover. It delivers a hearty salad that fills the spot and my gosh is it delicioooous!
This easy root roasted vegetable salad brings together oven-roasted beetroot, radishes and long baby carrots with fresh baby spinach, creamy feta and in the tangy dressing, roasted almonds. It is the sort of salad that works just as well alongside a roast chicken or mustardy pork tenderloin as it does served on its own for a simple lunch. No complicated ingredients, no elaborate techniques, just a tray of vegetables, a handful of fresh greens and a good dressing.
Roasting the root vegetables is the key here. The heat brings out their natural sweetness while giving the edges a little colour, and it also means you can get on with preparing everything else while the oven does the work. Beetroot, radishes and carrots are particularly well suited to roasting, and using a mixture of shapes and sizes makes the finished salad more interesting without requiring much extra effort.
The baby spinach adds freshness, rather than roasted, giving the salad a leafy element that keeps things feeling appropriate for the warmer weather. Feta adds a salty, creamy contrast, while roasted almonds bring crunch to an otherwise soft combination of roasted vegetables and greens.
The dressing is deliberately simple, using olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, a touch of sugar, seasonings and roasted almonds, doing double duty as both an ingredient and a source of texture. It ties the roasted root vegetables, spinach and feta together without covering up the flavour of the vegetables themselves. The tart dressing is most definitely a must-have finishing touch.
If you are looking for a seasonal salad recipe for September in South Africa, this roasted root vegetable salad is a useful one to have in your repertoire. It makes a straightforward side dish, a light vegetarian meal or a colourful addition to a spring lunch table. And, as with most good salads, it is perfectly happy to accommodate whatever vegetables happen to be hanging around in the fridge.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp roasted almonds roughly chopped
- ground salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 small carrots halved lengthwise
- 4 medium beets ends removed and halved
- 6 medium radish ends removed and halved
- ¼ cup Danish feta
- 200 grams baby spinach or greens of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210℃.
- Evenly spread the prepared vegetables onto a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside or in the fridge and allow to reach room temperature.
- Just before serving, add the greens, roasted vegetables and Danish feta to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, add the dressing ingredients and mix well to combine as best you can. Pour the dressing over the salad, and mix gently.