Mind Blowing Roasted Root Vegetable + Radish Salad

Sometimes the simplest of salads are packed with the most flavor. We often spend too much time in the kitchen trying to make the perfect sauce; throwing one ingredient in after the other; trying crazy innovative ingredient combinations; only to be disappointed. Does this sound familiar?

This recipe is one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever made and the dressing is just a simple vinaigrette. No honey mustard or tahini or hard to find expensive spices. Just oil, vinegar and garlic. The radishes add a spicy crunch and the sprouts are even spicier. Roasted brussels sprout skins add a light toasty crunch. The sweetness of the herbed root veggies gives a caramel flavor. That combined with raw lettuces and fresh herbs is what gives this salad so much pizazz. 

I'm just such a huge fan of raw and roasted vegetable salads. Combing these two textures is addicting. I added almond ricotta to this salad but you can use no cheese or real goat cheese if you're not vegan. Almond or macadamia nut ricotta cheese are so easy to make. Sign up for my newsletter and get a free recipe for mac nut ricotta next week. It is a subscriber only recipe that I created.  

Mind Blowing Roasted Root Vegetable + Spicy Radish Salad Recipe

Yields 2 large salads or 4 side salads

Roasted Veggie Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Parsnip + Carrots

• 4-5 Parsnip, sliced into long wedges
• 4 large carrots, sliced into long wedges
• resh Marjoram sprigs and leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 teaspoon Olive oil, drizzled and coated
• 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup, drizzled
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt

Brussels Sprouts

• 2 cups chopped or shredded brussels sprouts or just the outer leaves
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F. 
2. Cut all the root veggies into long wedges - they should resemble large french fries.
3. Place them on a baking tray or cookie sheet (see photo) so that they aren't overlapping each other. They should be touching the cookie sheet.  
4. Coat them in oil and maple syrup. 
5. Using a garlic press, you'll want to add fresh raw garlic. 
6. Sprinkle marjoram leaves and sprigs over the veggies. 
7. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper (optional) over the tops.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes - until they are very soft and brow along the edges (see photo above).  
9. Spread the brussels sprouts on a baking tray as well and combine all the ingredients until brussels sprouts are thoroughly coated. 
10. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the brussel sprouts are brown. You want them toasty not just softened. They should get almost burned looking. 

Roasted Veggie Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• Roasted parsnips and carrots (recipe above - or bake them as you please)
• Roasted brussels sprouts (recipe above - or bake them as you please)
• ¾ - 1 head of butter lettuce
• ¼ cup chopped rainbow radish
• ½ cup chopped radicchio 
• ¼ cup curly radish sprouts 
• ½ cup fresh herbs - like parsley, basil, mint and cilantro (I used all 4 of them)
• 3 tablespoon red onion, chopped into fine strips 
• Toasted slivered almonds or hazelnuts (place raw nuts in the oven for 8 minutes - 350 degrees F)
• almond ricotta cheese (or goat cheese or not cheese)* 
• 4 tablespoon (approx ¼ cup) blood orange olive oil + white balsamic vinaigrette dressing (recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl and gently toss! Toss until flavors and ingredients are well mixed. 
2. Add dressing and lightly mix again. 
3. Serve in your favorite salad bowl or plate. And get ready to be mind blow. 

Blood Orange Olive Oil + White Balsamic Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup Antica blood orange olive oil
• 3 tablespoon Antica white balsamic vinegar (pear flavor)
• 2 tablespoon raw garlic, minced or pressed
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a whisk, mix up all of the above ingredients in a measuring cup. The dressing will thicken once oil and vinegar are thoroughly combined. 
2. You can double this recipe as well. And use the rest later. 
3. Enjoy

*please note that this is NOT a paid sponsored post for this company. I got these oils and vinegars as a gift for Christmas from my mother-in-law and fell in love with them. I highly recommend you get some. You will freak out at the flavors. 

Sign up for my newsletter to get the recipe for almond ricotta cheese. It's ridic. I won't be posting it on the blog until March. So if you want it now, then go ahead and sign up below.