Thanksgiving Roasted Vegetable Salad

A big bowl and plate on a wooden table full of salad covered in roasted vegetables and dressing.

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Packed with roasted veggies, feta cheese, bacon, and a simple homemade dressing, this salad is a delicious and assertive addition to your dinner or Thanksgiving table.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Jana Dziak

Ingredients

For The Salad:

1 large beet chopped or sliced
2 medium carrots chopped or sliced diagonally
1 cup brussel sprouts halved
1 small eggplant
1 small zucchini chopped, or winter squash like pumpkin
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved, or 1 large tomato sliced into wedges
1 teaspoon sea salt

For The Salad Dressing:

½ cup pancetta diced, or bacon.
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup honey may be substituted
2 tablespoons tahini 2 tablespoons per person is an approximate calculation
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 lemon juiced and zested
3 cloves fresh garlic finely minced
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven. Prep your vegetables for roasting by washing and slicing them. Arrange your veggies on a baking tray. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
Wash and dry your leafy greens if required. Keep them refrigerated or in a cool place until ready to use which will be after you pull the vegetables out of the oven.
Make the dressing by slowly rendering the diced bacon on the lowest heat. Once suitably crispy, add the minced garlic and stir for 60 seconds until fragrant.
Add the olive oil and allow to heat up.
Whisk in olive oil and remove from heat. Add tahini, soy/tamari/aminos, fresh lemon juice, zest, maple or honey, and a pinch of crushed black pepper.
Whisk and add more olive oil or water if required to thin out the dressing.
When vegetables have finished roasting, pull them out of the oven and allow them to come down in temperature a bit; if you have spring mix greens, wait until they are room temperature, as the delicate leaves will wilt. Kale and others can withstand hot veggies just fine.
Arrange your mixed leafy greens in the serving bowl you're using. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil into the bowl, and use your hands to massage and coat the greens with a very light amount of oil.
Add the dressing and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste). Toss lightly.
Arrange the roasted vegetables on top, and add enough of the dressing to be sufficient. You will likely have leftovers depending on how much salad you're making.
Add feta or other cheese if you wish and serve.

Notes

Leafy salad greens | I love to use a mixture of different greens with varied tastes and textures. My favorites in hearty salads like this are: kales, mizunas, mustard greens, arugula, Belgian endive, frisee, and spinach. Feel free to get a big container of mixed and prewashed salad greens and then add some extras from the produce aisle if you wish.
Roasted vegetables | Some of my favorites are: Pumpkin or other winter squashes, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, artichoke, Brussel sprouts, beets, cabbage, fennel, eggplant, parsnips, radishes, rapini. Use what you have on hand and enjoy eating.
Feta | Optional, but I love adding some feta to this salad after it has been assembled, dressed, and tossed. Parmigiano is another great option and so is goat cheese.
Nuts | Add walnuts or pecans to the salad; candied nuts are also delicious.
Dried Fruit | dried cranberries, raisins, or apricos work well here.

Nutrition