This salad takes full advantage of the wonderful and colorful autumn produce available right now. You combine roast sweet potato and cauliflower, apple, toasted nuts, a grain (your choice), with a lemony dressing full of fresh parsley. Serve it warm, room temperature, or cold. The dish is both vegetarian and vegan, gluten free if you use brown rice as the grain. I served it as a side with a roast chicken, and it would be delicious as a one bowl vegetarian meal, poached eggs optional.

I mixed leftovers into scrambled eggs the next morning in a delicious scramble for brunch.

Harvest Salad

It’s pretty enough to serve as a side for Thanksgiving. Make it ahead, bring to room temperature and toss with the dressing just before serving. This recipe will serve 4-6 but can be easily doubled or tripled.

Harvest Salad

• 1 cup of brown rice, farro, or another whole grain
• 1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• A sprinkle of dried spices, or a few sprigs of fresh thyme or oregano or rosemary
• 1 large apple
• A handful of toasted nuts, pecans or walnuts

Lemon/Parsley Dressing

• 1 bunch of parsley, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• juice of 1-2 lemons
• 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup or agave
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Rinse your grain of choice (I used farro) and cook with the appropriate amount of water or broth. Refer to the cooking directions on the package as each is different. Once cooked drain, if appropriate, and cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the cauliflower and sweet potato on separate large baking sheets, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs and salt. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn the pieces to brown the other side and roast for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. Spread the nuts out on a small roasting sheet and toast for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn, remove and cool.
4. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake to combine.
5. Chop the apple (you do not need to peel), and set aside.
6. When the vegetables and grains are done, combine together with the apple in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and nuts just before serving. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve.

Autumn salad

Roast sweet potato and cauliflower salad

I’m taking this to Fiesta Friday #95, hosted by Angie of the Novice Gardener. This week it is co-hosted by Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Petra @ Food Eat Love. Come and visit with us to see all the wonderful dishes being brought by the fabulous cooks at the party.

The basic recipe came from the blog Pinch of Yum where it is called “Autumn Glow Salad with Lemon Dressing”.