Harvest salad

Maximum flavor, minimal effort. Your kitchen cheat sheet.

Tips

Make your prep even easier!

While I love the satisfaction of cooking from scratch with fresh, local ingredients, I totally get that sometimes you just need a quick meal with minimal prep! This salad is perfect for those moments. You can often find pre-chopped squash and potatoes in the produce section of most grocery stores, especially in the fall. This recipe is also incredibly versatile, so feel free to mix and match your favorite roasted vegetables to make it your own.

customize it!

One thing about me is that I love deviating from the plan, this vegetable medley is the perfect example! I love this combination because it’s made from ingredients I usually have on hand during the fall, but the vinaigrette below pairs wonderfully with almost any roasted vegetable. Have some butternut squash? Go for it! Got pumpkin? Even better! Think of me as planting a little seed of inspiration that you can let run wild. Just be aware cooking times may vary.

Harvest salad

Preparation Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Serving size: 4 – 6

Gather

For Salad

• 3 carrots (~½ pound), diced
• 2 small sweet potatoes (~1 pound), diced
• 1 small delicata squash (~ 1 pound), sliced similar in size to the sweet potatoes and carrots (cut and remove seeds before slicing)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 leek, sliced (you can include some green as well, but not all)
• 1 apple, cored and diced (I recommend Gala or Honeycrisp)
• ¼ cup mixed herbs, chopped (parsley, chives, cilantro, fresh basil, etc.)

Apple cider vinaigrette  (optional)

• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ tablespoons ginger, freshly grated 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Follow

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. 
2. Place diced vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Toss in olive oil and garlic, and season heavily with salt and pepper.
3. Spread the vegetables on the prepared sheet in an even layer. Flipping halfway through, bake in the oven until the vegetables are fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium-low heat, add butter. Add leeks, and coat in butter. Toss and cook for 1 minute. Cover and let sweat, 1 to 2 minutes. Stirring occasionally, cook until fragrant and soft, 8 to 10 minutes; don’t let them brown.
5. Once vegetables are done, remove from the oven. In a large bowl, add roasted vegetables and diced apple. Toss in sauteed leek and the chopped herbs. Toss together one last time.
6. Make vinaigrette: In a bowl or jar with a lid, add apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger and salt. Whisk or shake together. Add olive oil. Whisk or shake again, until incorporated. Serve over salad.