It’s cold outside, but that doesn’t mean we need to kiss salad goodbye. Using seasonal root vegetables, we are creating a super healthy, super hearty salad that you can enjoy equally warm or cold!
I chose to use violet sweet potatoes (my new love this year), and a less common root parsley in this salad, but you can substitute any root vegetables which you like for roasting. The most important thing is that you keep the cubes roughly the same size so that they cook evenly. A root parsley looks just like a parsnip, but it has a delicate flavour similar to a turnip. It complements the sweetness of the sweet potato perfectly.
Wheat berries make a nice carbohydrate change to the usual rice and pasta as well. Wheat berries are a naturally extremely healthy carbohydrate, in Switzerland I bought mine as the popular brand “Ebly”. They should be pretty easy to get hold of but if not, substitute brown rice instead. I found boiling the wheat berries in vegetable stock added a nice, subtle flavour.
So don’t let salad be boring! Try this hearty salad for a hearty winter treat!
Roasted Vegetable Wheat Berry Winter Salad
Serves 4
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we need to give up salad. This salad brings together fresh, citrus flavours and hearty winter root vegetables, in a healthy, hearty, vegan meal.
Ingredients:
For the Salad
1/2 Butternut Squash,
1 Root Parsley,
1 Small Violet Sweet Potato,
4-6 Chestnut Mushrooms,
1 Tbsp Olive Oil.
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary,
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme,
Salt and Pepper for Seasoning,
100g dried Wheatberries,
1 Litre Vegetable Stock,
For The Dressing
Juice of 1/2 a lemon,
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil,
2 Shallots,
2 Handfuls Rocket.
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Chop the butternut squash, the root parsely, the violet sweet potato and the chestnut mushrooms into 1/2 inch squares. Coat in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, the dried rosemary and thyme, season with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes.
2. While the vegetables are baking, boil 1 litre of vegetable stock in a saucepan, add the wheat berries and boil for 10 minutes, drain and set aside.
3. Finely dice the shallots and saute on a low heat in a frying pan until caramelised. Once golden, add the lemon juice, olive oil and wheat berries and cook for a few minutes to allow the wheatberries to absorb a little dressing.
4. Add in the roasted vegetables and mix to combine evenly. Finally add the rocket into the pan and stir to wilt just slightly. Serve immediately.
Note: Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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About Lauren Caris
Lauren is the author and chef of the vegan food blog, Lauren Caris Cooks. She is passionate about showing people just how awesome vegan food can be with simple, delicious recipes and vegan lifestyle tips.
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