If you often think of salad as a summer side dish and roast or steamed vegies as a winter side dish, this collection of roast vegetable salad recipes will make you rethink everything. Let’s face it – they offer the best of both worlds! Baked veg, like cauliflower, sweet potato, pumpkin and capsicum always make a plain old salad feel all the more filling. Plus, by roasting vegies in good quality olive oil and a mix of tasty herbs, you’ll also add a more complex flavour profile to the entire salad.
Whether you’re on a newfound health kick, or over your default salad that leaves you wanting more – these delicious roast veg salads will keep you satisfied and on track. They’re also great for sudden cold snaps or as a trans-seasonal side dish. These vegie-packed salads will also help you get closer to the Heart Foundation’s recommended five serves of vegetables per day.
Wam honey-roasted pumpkin salad
With rocket and cracked wheat
This rocket-based salad is given bulk and body by wedges of Japanese pumpkin, roasted in a mix of extra virgin olive oil and honey plus cracked wheat soaked in vegetable stock. Once all ingredients have been prepped, toss the salad and top with pine nuts and pepitas.
Hero ingredients:
- Roast pumpkin
- Cracked wheat
- Rocket leaves
- Crumbled goat’s cheese
Roasted cauliflower salad
With Greek-style yoghurt dressing
Want a salad that tastes naughty but is actually so good for you? Try this. Marinate a small head of cauliflower with a combination of sumac and extra virgin olive oil before roasting, cooling and tossing into a mix of fibre-rich leafy greens including baby kale and flat leaf parsley. Jewel-like pomegranate arils add a sweet, crunchy ‘pop’ to every bite.
Hero ingredients:
- 500g cauliflower
- Eggplant
- Roasted chickpeas
- Baby kale
- Greek style yoghurt
Roasted pumpkin salad
Topped with crunchy chilli pecans
Want to use up that bag of baby spinach that always seems to wilt away before the end of the week? Make this salad! Thick wedges of roast pumpkin give this salad main meal energy. Drizzle with olive oil and caramelised balsamic vinegar before topping with a mix of candied chilli pecans and dried cranberries. Delicious!
Hero ingredients:
- Kent pumpkin
- Baby spinach leaves
- Danish feta
- Pecans
- Chilli flakes
Roast pumpkin and heirloom tomato salad
Topped with crumbled feta
There’s something irresistable about a colourful salad, and this recipe certainly fits the bill. It features a mix of baby and large heirloom tomatoes, baby kale and thinly-sliced radish. The dressing is so tasty too, featuring a mix of wholegrain mustard, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar and maple syrup.
Hero ingredients:
- Kent pumpkin
- Heirloom tomatoes
- Kale
- Crumbled feta
Warm roast vegetable salad
Topped with hard-boiled eggs
This is going to be your favourite new work lunch. The low-GI pearl barley base will keep you feeling energised and satisfied long after lunch is over (goodbye 3pm slump) while fibre-rich pears add sweetness and crunch. Top with hard-boiled eggs for an extra hit of protein. It can be prepared ahead of time (just make sure to drizzle cut pear wedges in lemon to prevent browning) and dress just before serving.
Hero ingredients:
- Pearl barley
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Jap pumpkin
- Reduced-fat feta
Cauliflower and black barley salad
With toasted cumin and coriander
Take last night’s leftover roast vegies and turn them into a hearty, flavour-filled salad. Just add spinach leaves, grilled chorizo, herbs and drizzle with fresh lemon and olive oil and you’re done!
Hero ingredients:
- Leftover roast vegetables (we’ve used cauliflower, potatoes, carrots and pumpkins)
- Chorizo
- Lemon juice
- Baby spinach
Cauliflower and black barley salad
By Stephanie Alexander
This recipe comes from Stephanie Alexander’s Home and features a mix of black barley and cauliflower. Stephanie says black barley has a nutty flavour to it, but if you can’t find it in your local health food store, you can substitute with brown rice or freekeh. The salad is gently flavoured with cumin, coriander, sliced mint leaves and freshly ground black pepper. This recipe makes a generous helping, so it’s perfect for a large gathering or party.
Hero ingredients:
- Black barley
- Cauliflower
- Preserved lemon
Roast vegetables with tahini dressing
Colourful and packed with flavour
Any salad topped with pomegranate seeds looks immediately impressive. But this salad’s beauty is deeper than appearances. Here, pumpkin wedges are sprinkled with Moroccan seasoning and tossed with beets, potatoes, cauliflower all mixed into a delicious Greek yoghurt, lemon and tahini dressing.
Hero ingredients:
- Japanese pumpkin
- Kipfler potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Baby beets
Quinoa, lentil and sweet potato salad
With pan-fried haloumi
They say you don’t make friends with salad, but one with pan-fried haloumi will always please a crowd. Here, a mix of fibre-rich grains and sweet potato provide a satisfying base while dried cranberries, haloumi, coriander and thinly sliced red onion add rich flavour.
Hero ingredients:
- Sweet potato
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Red cabbage
- Haloumi
