Recipe

Winter salad with roasted seasonal vegetables, tossed with a simple maple Dijon dressing is everything you want in a healthy meal.

A bed of greens, caramelized veggies, and some crunchiness on the top… this winter salad is anything but boring.

a large salad bowl with roasted winter veggies and greens

Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

By roasting the vegetables, you extract the caramel and sweetness they naturally contain. I typically roast fall vegetables in a sheet pan for a few meals, like first for dinner, and store leftovers in the fridge for salads like this winter salad.

The roasted vegetables and the baked chicken (if using) are warm, and the crisp greens are room temperature or cold. The different flavors and textures make this salad anything but average.

Ingredients

In today’s salad, I included sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, beets, plus olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning. Then, I serve them with salad greens, pomegranate seeds, pecans, and maple Dijon dressing.

bowls with green, Brussels sprouts, cubed sweet potatoes and beets in a plate next to two sweet potatoes, and two small bowls with nuts

How to Make Winter Salad

As you’ll see in the video below, it takes just a few steps to make this winter salad:

Prepare the veggies.
Whether you wash, chop, and roast your veggies a couple of days before or right now, it's always a great idea to make extra. Place them on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season, and toss to combine.
Bake.
Bake for 35-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 375F, until the veggies are fork-tender.

on the left, veggies in rows in a baking sheet; on the right, the same veggies roasted

Make the dressing.
Place the dressing ingredients in a jar, shake, and drizzle. You'll use about half of this dressing for the salad and it keeps in the fridge for about a week.
Build the salad bowl.
Build a bed of lettuce in a bowl, top with roasted veggies, pomegranate seeds, and pecans. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy.

Laura’s Favorite Swaps & Variations

Greens: kale, arugula, Bibb lettuce, Romaine, etc.
Roasted vegetables: beets, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes.
Cheese: goat, feta, and farmers’ cheeses.
Toppings: walnuts, pecans, pepita or sunflower seeds, pomegranate seeds.
Dressing: any vinaigrette.
Protein: roasted chicken or turkey, optional.

Best Dressing for Winter Salad

My go-to salad dressing is a Balsamic vinaigrette. While it pairs well with this winter salad too, I find that the maple Dijon dressing pairs even better. It's the perfect balance of acid, sweet, and fats that delicately coat the caramelized veggies and chicken. The store-bought is no match for this homemade version, and it takes 2 minutes to whip up.

a spoon drizzling dressing on a large salad bowl with roasted winter veggies and greens

This luxurious salad makes an incredible side dish for your Christmas ham, or it’s substantial enough to serve as a full meal, with larger portions for each person.

Always See My Recipes In Google

Winter Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Maple Dijon Dressing

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Winter salad with roasted seasonal vegetables, tossed with a simple maple Dijon dressing is everything you want in a healthy meal.

5 from 37 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

Salad:

2 sweet potatoes*, peeled and cubed
16 ounce bag Brussels sprouts halved
2 medium beets, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
12 cups salad greens, (arugula, spinach, Butter lettuce, etc.) About 2 6oz bags
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup pecans

Maple Dijon dressing:

¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prep the veggies:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the sweet potatoes or butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and beets on the empty baking sheet. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the veggies to combine, keeping them in separate rows (if you combine all of them, the beets will change the color of the other veggies).

Bake:

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the veggies are fork-tender.
Meanwhile, make the dressing in a jar by combining the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, and salt. Cover with lid and shake, until ingredients are combined. Refrigerate the leftover dressing for up to one week.
When veggies are finished, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool down to room temperature.

Serve:

To serve, create a bed of lettuce in a bowl, top with roasted veggies, sprinkle pomegranate seeds, and pecans over the top. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy.

Notes

You can substitute the sweet potatoes for 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed, or a 16oz bag of cubed butternut squash, often found in the freezer aisle.

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