ROASTED VEGETABLES AND GRAINS SALAD
Roasting vegetables is an easy way to prepare them, and it’s a clever way to get yourself and those around you to eat more vegetables. This warm roasted vegetables and grains salad is perfect for anyone who thinks that salads aren’t filling or that vegetables are boring.
Why you should make this
✓ Warm, hearty and filling
✓ Easy to prepare
✓ Easy to adapt to what you have in the fridge or cupboard
✓ Easy to prep ahead and keep in the fridge for the next few days
✓ Can be enjoyed as a main course or as a side to other dishes
How to make this salad
1. Prep your vegetables by chopping them.
2. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with some salad.
3. Roast in the oven at 180C for about 25 minutes.
4. During this time, cook your grains.
5. Mix the dressing ingredients and when the vegetables are finished, pour the dressing over them and mix.
6. Add the grains, mix. Carefully fold in the green leaves and sprinkle with the seeds.
The beauty with this warm salad is that you really have the freedom to choose whichever vegetables you have in the fridge that need to be used up. And in the same idea, you can also choose the grain you have. For these pictures I used a Bulgur Wheat and Quinoa mix, but couscous, rice, pearl barley, emmer wheat, orzo etc work just as well. The dressing is very quick to put together, and if you had some fresh herbs you could also add those.
I really hope you enjoy making this salad, as always let me know if you have any comments or questions.
Roasted Vegetables and Grains Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup of uncooked grains (see notes below for options)
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 15 baby plum tomatoes
- Oil
- Salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- Handful of rocket leaves
- Mixed seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Chop the onion and the pepper.
- Line a baking sheet and arrange the vegetables (chickpeas, onion, pepper, tomatoes) on it. Drizzle with some oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
- During this time, cook your grains.
- In a small jar, mix the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and lime juice.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the dressing and toss the roasted vegetables. Add the grains and mix.
- Carefully fold in the green leaves and sprinkle with the seeds.
- Enjoy as a main dish or as a side to other dishes.
Notes:
The salad will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. If you are preparing it as meal prep for the days ahead, leave the salad leaves out and only add right before serving it.
You can swap out the vegetables for others that you might have in the fridge instead: cauliflower, courgettes, squash, aubergine are great here too.
Grains you could use: quinoa, brown rice, bulgur wheat, couscous, emmer wheat. Orzo pasta is also a good option.
If you have them to hand, add fresh herbs like coriander or mint.