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Roasted vegetable salad so good you’ll make it over and over. The balsamic garlic vinaigrette is a keeper too.
Awesome Roasted Vegetable Salad
The only word that comes to mind about this is “awesome.” After one taste, I was in heaven.
Maybe that’s because it has all the veggies I’m crazy about and that’s eggplant mainly. I cannot begin to say how much roasting these vegetables brings out terrific flavor. The main reason is the sugar that’s in them caramelizes and they get slightly crispy too.
And the dressing? Well, that’s to die for and I’m sure you’ll make it to use on other salads too. It would probably make a great marinade for meats as well.
Oh That Dressing
The dressing is so simple to make that you wouldn’t believe how flavorful it is.
It’s quite garlicky, but I love garlic so I used two large cloves. If you don’t want it as strong as I do then go with one clove.
It’s also important here not to substitute onion for the shallot. Yes, I know they’re pricy, but you don’t need much. One small shallot is more than enough. And do use the whole-grain dijon mustard because it adds a bit more texture. I’m also sure you’ll really like the whole-grain variety, so it will be money well spent.
The vinaigrette will automatically emulsify when you use the mustard, so there’s no dribbling the oil in this. I consider that a real plus!
Grill Or Oven
While I did this in the oven because it was a chilly (yes, even in late May) and rainy day, this is also well suited to outdoor grilling. You will need one of those BBQ trays with holes in it for this due to the small pieces of vegetables. One of those large grill pans will do nicely.
As I said before, I did this in my oven. I’m lucky enough to have a dual-fuel range that has a true convection oven setting. If you have a large convection oven, that’s the way to go with this because the vegetables will roast nicely and crisp up.
The Recipe
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (aubergine) halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 cups butternut squash peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium zucchini (courgettes) halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 large red peppers seeds removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dressing
- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed
Topping:
- 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tbs coarsely chopped mint
- 2 tbs coarsely chopped basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (if you have a convection oven preheat to 400 degrees F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- Put the vegetables into a bowl, add the oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until coated. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheets.
- Roast in the oven for 30–40 minutes, or until golden and little crisp Leave to cool on the baking sheets.
- For the dressing, measure all of the dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
- Put the vegetables on a serving platter or in a bowl. Pour over the dressing and check the seasoning. Sprinle with the feta., mint and basil and serve.
Amy says
I’d add cooked farro or orzo!
Judith Hanneman says
That’s the beauty of this type of salad–you can add in lots of great things.