Roasted Sweet Potato Cauliflower Salad
on Dec 10, 2020, Updated Dec 04, 2021
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With a mix of spinach, farro and scallions, this roasted sweet potato cauliflower salad is hearty and filling enough to count as dinner or lunch.
Lately, my dinners haven’t been making it off the sheet pan.
I blame my new routine.
Every weeknight, right around 6:00 pm or so, I preheat the oven, cut up lots of vegetables and roast them.
Since we are in fall, and now almost winter, this involves root veggies, especially potatoes since my CSA has had an excessive amount of them for what seems like months.
Wow, I have never seen so many sweet potatoes and fingerling potatoes. No complaints!
When I pull the perfectly golden brown vegetables out of the oven, I wait a few minutes and start eating them off the pan.
Sometimes I don’t give them enough time to cool, and because of my impatience, I burn my mouth.
Then what I thought I would turn into dinner becomes a pre-dinner snack. More often than I would like to admit, I end up too full for an actual meal.
Of course, I realize that doesn’t make sense to say I have ruined my appetite by eating too many vegetables. Shouldn’t I blame it on something more exciting like the breadbasket at the table?
Try Roasted Veggie Salads
I’m determined to do better.
Yes, this is a total cliché, but that means greens.
I have always loved tossing roasted and grilled vegetables, depending on the season, into salads.
Even though it seems like I am never without potatoes, I do crave variety. That’s how I came up with this roasted sweet potato cauliflower salad.
It amazes me how much people adore cauliflower. Count me in with the masses! I have to shore up some self-control not to just eat cauliflower from the pan just like I do with potatoes.
How To Make A Roasted Sweet Potato Cauliflower Salad
First, I preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Then I cut the head of the cauliflower lengthwise. This has been my go-to prep method since flat slices make more direct contact with the sheet pan than florets. As a result, they brown better.
I toss the cauliflower and diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread them into a single layer on the pan.
While the veggies are in the oven, I simmer farro on the stove. I add the grains to ensure that this is a hearty salad, worthy of being considered a meal, whether dinner or lunch.
Once the sweet potatoes, cauliflower and farro are ready, I combine them in a big bowl with spinach, sliced scallions, chopped parsley and shaved Pecorino cheese.
In a small bowl, I whisk together sherry vinaigrette with garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Finally, I drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad tossing the ingredients around to make sure they’re all lightly dressed.
Roasted Sweet Potato Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- For salad
- 1 head cauliflower leaves removed, bottom stem trimmed
- 1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup farro
- 2/3 cup water
- 5 ounces spinach
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 ounce shaved pecorino cheese
- For vinaigrette
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the cauliflower lengthwise into 3/4-inch slices.
- Toss the cauliflower and sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a sheet pan and spread into a single layer. Roast for 30-35 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and the cauliflower is browned. Flip the cauliflower and toss around the potatoes about halfway through roasting.
- While the potatoes and cauliflower are roasting, cook the farro on the stove. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the farro and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer the farro for 20-25 minutes until the grains are tender. Drain any remaining water.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, cauliflower, farro, spinach, scallions, parsley and pecorino.
- For the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until fully combined. Drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad, tossing together.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi do you eat this salad while vegetables still warm or is it good cold as well. Thinking about making it at Christmas but not sure if roast veggies taste good cold. Thanks Liz
Hi Liz. I think the salad is best if the veggies are warm or at room temperature.