Winter Root Vegetable and Grain Salad

20 mins Prep Time

40 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

I’m not sure why salads get such a bad rep; they are often so conducive to seasonal eating and allow space to create something special and exciting. Grain-based salads especially are such a great way to experiment with various vegetable, flavour and textural combinations. Whenever making a salad, I am always cognizant of ensuring there is a good balance of salt, sweet, tart flavours and that there is still a crunch element involved; otherwise, it can get quite boring to eat. This recipe highlights a trio of hearty and ever-present root vegetables but amps them up by combining them with crisp grapes and a lemon forward dressing. Superfoods like yams, quinoa and green kale will provide nutrient heavy and guilt-free eats, while nutty and briny Grana Padano cheese brings the little hits of umami. Not only does this salad keep well for days, it seems to get better with time once the kale has broken down and flavours have developed. The bottom line here is that it is entirely possible to make friends with salad and good friends at that.

Ingredients

Winter Root Vegetable and Grain Salad

2 cups thinly sliced green kale, leaves only
1 cup butternut squash, 1/2"-inch diced
1 cup celery root, 1/2"-inch diced
1 cup yam, 1/2"-inch diced
1/2 cup shaved Grana Padano cheese
1/2 cup dried farro
1/4 cup dried quinoa
1/4 cup green or red seedless grapes, sliced into 1/4 cm thick rounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Dressing

1 shallot, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

Winter Root Vegetable and Grain Salad

4 Steps

Step 1

Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients (chopped shallots, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, honey, chopped parsley, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper) whisk well until even and set aside.
Step 2

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium mixing bowl combine the diced butternut squash, celery root, yams, olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper and toss until the vegetables are evenly coated. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven until the vegetables are cooked but still firm and have taken on some browning color. Allow to cool.
Step 3

Cook both the dried quinoa and the farro according to package instructions. Make sure to keep a little bite or “al dente” and not overcook the grains. Once cooked, drain off and immediately toss with 1/3 of the dressing then spread onto a baking sheet to cool.
Step 4

To assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and dressed farro and quinoa, roasted root vegetables, sliced kale, sliced grapes, shaved Grana Padano cheese and theremainder of the dressing and mix to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.