Roasted Vegetable Salad
Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sugars and makes them so delicious. I like to toss them into a refreshing green salad. This is the version I make in the fall and winter, when Brussels sprouts and winter squash are in season. What's nice is in other seasons, you can easily replace veggies. Think asparagus and sugar snap peas in the spring and zucchini and roasted red peppers in the summer.
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 cup Brussels sprouts
2 delicata squash (or 1 acorn squash)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
1 head butter lettuce
1 tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
½ cup roasted, salted pepitas
Feta cheese (or goat cheese)
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half through the core and put them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), sprinkle with salt, and arrange the sprouts so they’re flat-side down on the baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast the Brussels sprouts until the undersides are a deep, delicious-looking golden brown, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out and discard the seeds. Lay the squash flat-side down and slice into ¼-inch thick half moons. Put the squash on a second baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Spread the half moons out on the baking sheet and put them in the oven along with the Brussels sprouts. Roast until they are deep dark golden on both sides. Remove them from the oven. Tear the roots off of the lettuce. Remove the leaves from the core and drop them into a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the vinegar and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to coat the lettuce with the dressing. Add the veggies and pepitas and toss gently to combine. Crumble the feta over the salad.
GAME CHANGER:
Buy feta cheese packed in water, not crumbled feta cheese. Feta in water is moist and flavorful whereas crumbled feta tends to be dry. For perfectly cooked, deliciously caramelized vegetables, turn each piece halfway through cooking time. I use tongs or a fork to turn them one by one. It takes less than a minute to turn a whole tray full of veggies and it's so worth it!
