ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD with ROASTED SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

I was having one of those days where I was feeling a salad, (I didn’t aaactually feel like a salad.  I don’t know how a salad feels; but my hair may have resembled a salad.)   I knew that Billy would want something more substantial so I figured that by roasting a bunch of hearty vegetables, and serving the warm vegetables over my new favorite greens we would both be satisfied! 



I love this salad mix because it is packed with nutrition, but the greens are still tender.








The Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette is thick and creamy, which also adds to the robustness of the salad.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette is a delightful cool weather salad and can be served on its own.  Feel free to top it off with roasted chicken or a good steak; change the vegetables by adding Oven Roasted Asparagus or butternut squash, and goat cheese would be a yummy substitutefor blue cheese.

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Start with roasting the beets, they take the longest.

Trim the tops from the beets and wash to dirt from the skin.  There’s no need to peel the beet. 

I leave a little of the stem on, you'll see why in a bit.








Place the beet on a piece of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap the beet in.  If the beets are small, wrap a couple of them in the piece of foil 

Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the beet, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.





 Wrap the beet in the foil.  Put the foil wrapped beet on a baking dish (trust me; it may save you from having to clean the bottom of your oven).

Roast in the oven for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.  A paring knife should easily slide into the flesh of the beet.

My beets were large, so I only used one beet in the salad, but I roasted the other beet any way just to snack on later.

 After the beets have been roasting about 20 minutes start the potatoes.  Put the potatoes on a sheet pan; toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning), salt and pepper.

If you’re making the vinaigrette, then toss the shallots and unpeeled garlic with the potatoes.


Once the potatoes have roasted for 25 minutes; remove them from the oven, add the green beans, bell peppers and mushrooms to the sheet pan, but keep each kind of vegetable separated. 

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the veggies, season with salt and pepper.  Return the pan of vegetables to the oven for about another 15 minutes, until the veggies are done.

When the beets are done remove them from the oven (the beets are okay to sit for a while in the foil packs). 

See?  The little stem that I left on the beet acts as a handle.  I use that little handle to lift the beet out of the foil without getting beet stains on my hand!











Grab a handful of paper towels.  Put a beet into paper towel and gently rub to remove the skin.  The beets must still be warm to use this method of removing the skin.

 







Cut the beet into bite sized pieces.

When the shallots are soft and have some caramel color on the outside remove them and the garlic from the oven.  Squeeze the garlic out of its skin.

Add the shallots and garlic to the bowl of a mini processor or a blender; along with a squeeze of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar (or balsamic), olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. 

Blitz until creamy.

Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and cut the mushrooms in half.

Toss the lettuce with a little of the vinaigrette, salt and pepper.  I added a little of the beet juices as well.

Put the lettuce on the bottom of a platter or a large bowl.






Arrange the vegetables and blue cheese over the top of the lettuce. 

Keeping the veggies separate is not only pretty, but allows each person to take the veggies that they like.  

If you like drizzle just a little more vinaigrette over the top of the whole salad; or serve the vinaigrette on the side.

ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD 

Serves 2 

1                            Large beet or 2 small beets 

4              Tbsp.     Olive oil, divided

8                            Fingerling potatoes cut in half length wise

½             tsp.        Herbs de Provence, or Italian seasoning

1 ½         cups       Green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half

½                           Sweet bell pepper, red, orange, or yellow

4              oz.         Mushrooms; whole, with the stem end trimmed

4              cups       Lettuce, such as baby kale, or romaine

3              oz.          Blue cheese, crumbled (goat cheese would also be good)

                               Salt and pepper to taste

                               Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1.        Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.       Trim the leafy tops from the beet(s) and wash any dirt off of the skin.  Do not peel the beets.

3.       Place the beets on a sheet of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap the beets in.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil over the top of the beets, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pull the foil up to wrap the beets.  Place the foil package into a baking dish and into the oven for 35 to 50 minutes depending on the size of the beets.  The beet is done when a paring knife slides easily into the flesh.
        *The beets can be roasted in advance if you prefer.

4.       After the beets have been in the oven about 20 minutes you can start the potatoes.  Place the potatoes on a sheet pan.  Toss the potatoes with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning), salt and pepper.  Put into the hot oven. 
         **The shallots and the garlic from step 1 of the Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette recipe can be roasted now as well.

5.       After the potatoes have roasted for 25 minutes, put the green beans, bell pepper, and mushrooms on the same sheet pan with the potatoes, but keep each kind of vegetable separated.  Drizzle the veggies with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked.

6.       When the beets are done, grab some paper towels.  Now remove a beet from the foil and place into the handful of paper towels.  Rub the skin with the paper towels and it will come right off.  This must be done while the beet is still warm.

7.       Chop the beet into bite sized pieces.

8.       When all the veggies are done, cut the roasted mushrooms in half.

9.       Now to assemble the salad:  Toss the lettuce in a bowl with some of the vinaigrette, a little salt and pepper.

10.   Place the dressed lettuce in the bottom of a platter or large bowl, and arrange each kind of vegetable on top of the lettuce in little piles.  Place the blue cheese on the top of the salad.

11.   Serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side. 

ROASTED SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

2                            Shallots, peeled

2             cloves     Garlic, skin on

4 ½         Tbsp.     Extra virgin olive oil, divided

1              tsp.        Fresh lemon juice

½             tsp.        Dijon mustard

2              Tbsp.     Sherry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar

1              tsp.        Maple syrup

                              Salt and pepper to taste 

1.       Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.       Place the peeled shallots and the unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking dish, drizzle ½ Tbsp. of olive oil over the top, season with salt and pepper.  Roast until the shallots have are a caramel color, about 30 minutes.  
          **The shallots and garlic can be roasted along with the potatoes in step 4 of the salad recipe.

3.       When the shallots and garlic are done squeeze the garlic out of its skin.

4.       Add the shallots, garlic and the remaining ingredients to the bowl of a mini food processor or a blender, and blitz until smooth.

I posted this recipe at:




    &  Simple Meal Fridays .