This Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad is a salad for people that think salads aren't filling or they think they are boring. It's the salad for people that think they don't like salads and it's the perfect warm salad for winter. Roasting vegetables is the best way to cook them in our opinion, and the easiest way to get people to eat more veggies. This roasted vegetables salad just has it all!
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Winter is all about comfort food, but that doesn't mean that can't include salad. Just make sure the salad is loaded with warm and hearty toppings that will keep you going. This warm salad recipe is comforting, but still light and fresh.
A salad is more than just green leaves after all and warm salads are so underated. Pick you favourite seasonal winter ingredients and put them on a salad. Crispy root vegetables and mixed greens all brought together with an easy dressing and topped with your favourite cheese. You will be making this roasted veggie salad all winter!
Nutritious, delicious and under 500 calories for a big bowl as well. This recipe for a winter salad is going to keep your nourished through the cold months.
Looking for other winter salad recipes to make? Why not try our Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad, Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad or Easy Lentil Salad.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Red onion - You can use shallots for this winter salad, which would give a sweeter flavour. But we love the color that red onion adds.
- Butternut squash - Such a great winter vegetable for salads. Adds a lovely creaminess and it caramelises nicely when roasted.
- Potatoes - This helps to make this roast veg salad much more filling. You can use baby potatoes or cubed sweet potatoes.
- Carrots - To add some extra color to this vegetable salad recipe, use a mixture of orange and purple carrots.
- Parsnips - These are amazing when roasted and they add a nice mixture to the roasted root vegetables.
- Oil - Use a good quality olive oil for the best flavour.
- Salt and pepper - Generously season.
- Salad leaves - Anything goes here on this vegetable salad recipe. We used a bag of lettuce leaves, but you could add in some spinach and kale for some extra nutrients.
- Balsamic vinegar - This adds a lovely sweetness to the salad dressing. Use the best quality you can, as the cheaper ones tend to be a bit watery.
- Herbs - We used a mixture of fresh basil, parsley and coriander. So, it's a great way to use up herbs.
- Cheese - We love some feta cheese crumbled on top of this warm salad before serving.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How To Make Roasted Vegetable Salad
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: Chop all the vegetables so they are fairly chunky. Put them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper and toss to mix well.
- Step 2: Put onto a baking tray into the oven for 35-40 minutes.
- Step 3: Make the salad dressing by mixing together the olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper and herbs.
- Step 4: Remove the vegetables from the oven.
- Step 5: Divide the salad between 2 bowls and top with roasted vegetables. Drizzle the dressing on top and crumble over the feta.
Warm Salad Ideas
I must admit, that these roasted vegetables nearly didn't even make it on to a salad. When they came out of the oven I had to give them a try to make sure that they were done and I just couldn't stop. They are THAT good.
This is quite root vegetable heavy and we used a mixture of potato, butternut squash, carrot and parsnip. You could roast up anything though. Swap the white potato for some sweet potato and add some broccoli and cauliflower or even some radish.
We added some feta on top of this roast vegetable salad, but you could leave it off to keep it vegan. Or, you could swap it for some Parmesan, goat cheese or blue cheese for a different cheese topping.
When it comes to dressing, you could swap the vinaigrette for our Healthy Ranch Dressing, Tahini Dressing or Pesto Salad Dressing. Then you could add some nuts (our favourite is walnuts) or seeds on top for crunch.
What To Serve With a Winter Salad
I think this vegetable salad recipe is pretty perfect the way it is, but if you are serving it as a side salad then it would go well with Greek Chicken Skewers, Air Fryer Steak, Air Fryer Halloumi or Honey and Garlic Side of Salmon. If you are having it as a light lunch, then we like some warm crusty bread on the side of it.
We usually serve up small portions of this as a starter to the main dish. However, if we are having it as a main then we would either add some Sourdough Croutons on top, or maybe some Cheesy Garlic Bread on the side.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Roast any vegetables you have that need using up. Cauliflower and broccoli roast well too.
- It's important to space your veggies out on the tray so they get nice and crispy.
- Mix up the salad greens by adding some spinach and kale.
- Add some extra texture to this salad by sprinkling some seeds on top before serving.
- Next time I would add some lemon juice and zest to the salad dressing too.
- Give the warm salad a protein boost with some chickpeas or grilled chicken.
- Add some pomegranate on top for an extra burst of colour and flavour.
- For some sweetness, thinly sliced apple is a really nice addition to to a winter salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can roast all the vegetables in advance and then mix them with the salad, dressing and cheese just before serving. It's best not to mix everything in advance, as the salad can get a little soggy.
The vegetables really are the star of this salad, however that doesn't mean that you can't top it with something extra too. You could add a grilled chicken breast or some grilled salmon or prawns on top to give it a protein boost. If you want to keep it vegetarian, then mix some cooked chickpeas in when mixing the salad.
This is best eaten straight after serving, however if you do have any leftovers then they can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two days.
More Veggie Packed Recipes
If you've tried this Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 Red onion
- 1 Butternut Squash - small
- 10 Baby potatoes
- 2 Carrot
- 2 Parsnips
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper
Salad
- 4 Handfuls of Watercress/Rocket (arugula) salad mix
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon of Fresh basil - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon of Fresh coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon of Fresh parsley - finely chopped
- 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 30 g (0.25 cups) of Light Feta - (or dairy-free equivalent)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6
- Chop 1 Red onion, 1 Butternut Squash, 10 Baby potatoes, 2 Carrot and 2 Parsnips so they are fairly chunky. Put them in a bowl with 1 tbsp of Olive oil and 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper and mix well.
- Put onto a baking tray into the oven for 35-40 minutes.
- Make the salad dressing by mixing together 1 tbsp of Olive oil, 2 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar, 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper, 2 tbsp of Fresh basil, 2 tbsp of Fresh coriander (cilantro) and 2 tbsp of Fresh parsley.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven.
- Divide 4 Handfuls of Watercress/Rocket (arugula) salad mix between 2 bowls and top with roasted vegetables. Drizzle the dressing on top and crumble over 30 g of Light Feta.
Recipe Tips
- Roast any vegetables you have that need using up. Cauliflower and broccoli roast well too.
- Mix up the salad greens by adding some spinach and kale.
- Keep the salad vegan by skipping the feta, or using an alternative.
- Add some extra texture to this salad by sprinkling some seeds on top before serving.
- Next time I would add some lemon juice and zest to the salad dressing too.
- Give the warm salad a protein boost with some chickpeas or grilled chicken.
- Add some pomegranate on top for an extra burst of colour and flavour.
- For some sweetness, thinly sliced apple is a really nice addition to to a winter salad.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
CLARE HODGKIN says
Making this for my bring-a-plate girlfriends' Christmas party for the 3rd year in a row. So tasty and warming. Whatever anyone else brings, I know we've covered our food groups! Thanks for such a lovely recipe xx
nina says
Can this be used as leftovers? Reheated or cold?
Dannii Martin says
Yes, this can be eaten cold.
Jan says
I made this for a ladies lunch. It was delicious. I thought it would need more dressing but this was perfect. I added some pepitas and they gave it a nice crunch.
Dannii Martin says
So glad you enjoyed it :)
Tavo says
This combination of veggies is just perfect! I skipped the feta cheese to make it vegan. It was delicious!
Tayler says
This is one of my favorite salads! We make it often and it always turns out perfectly!
Liz says
We've been loving salads lately and this was a great one to switch things up, even in summer! Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Ana says
Can this also be served cold?
I'm asking this while it's cooking in the oven haha
Dannii Martin says
Yes, you can!
Nathan says
Salad definitely isn't my typical first thought when I think of comfort food, but this looks so warm and filling! I'll be keeping this in my back pocket for when it gets colder here.
Lee says
Fantastically delicious. Change up from normal salads
Kate says
I had to cook the cauliflower for longer than suggested, but that’s because I’m a heathen who likes to turn my veggies to mush :)
A great recipe that I’ll definitely be making again.
Kelly Reilly says
I definitely don’t think only 1 tbsp of olive oil for dressing is correct.
Dannii says
It is correct. We don't like an oil heavy dressing. As with all recipes, taste them as you go and adjust them to suit your own tastes.
Aleta Beaver says
I made this last night. I used carrots, tiny purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, large radishes, a small turnip, and a small purple onion. I roasted them and put them over just kale. Although I REALLY want to make the dressing, I didn’t have any herbs. I used a small amount of a high quality bottled balsamic dressing. The kids loved it almost as much as the adults, in part because it’s so colorful as well as tasty!
Cheryl says
This has become a go-to! I'm grilling some scallops to add tonight. Super delicious, and the kids even eat it!!
Dannii says
Scallops sounds like a great addition!
Eloise says
how much butternut squash do you use for 3 people? 1 whole butternut pumpkin in Australia would feed 8-10 people.
Dannii says
We use around 600g. Wow - you must have huge butternut squash over there. Sadly ours are pretty small here in the UK.
India Puryear says
I literally ate this salad everyday in winter. It is so delicious, filling and warm!
Dannii says
I would happily eat it every day too.