Warm roasted veggies come together with perfect curly kale and a sweet and tangy dressing for a salad that will be perfect on your Thanksgiving dinner table this year. That’s right, my Warm Roasted Veggie Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette is a warm salad that is packed with a medley of vegetables that are spiced to perfection and paired with a homemade vinaigrette dressing. It’s perfect for serving up on its own as a healthy and delicious dinner, or alongside your favorite mains!
Friends, if you’re looking for the perfect salad to serve your family this Thanksgiving, then this is it. Warm salads are truly underrated, in my opinion, and are the best way to transition your diet from summer to fall. They have all of the elements of a traditional salad, but with a warm element to keep things feeling cozy. It’s the perfect way to get your veggies in, while also enjoying a warm meal.
And while this Warm Roasted Veggie Salad can absolutely be served as a meal on its own, this salad will 100% be making it to the Kalejunkie Thanksgiving dinner table this year. It’s the perfect side dish to pair alongside your favorite turkey, stuffing, and my Spiced Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta. If you’re looking to add more plants to your dinner table this Thanksgiving, then this is the perfect recipe to do just that!
While I love the traditional Thanksgiving spread of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and rolls, I can’t deny that eating all of those carbs leaves me feeling sluggish by the end of the night. It makes me want to crawl straight into my bed, rather than spend time with my family and loved ones! I’ve found from my experience, that when I try to incorporate more plants into my Thanksgiving dinner plate (alongside the carbs), I end up feeling way more energized at the end of the night! If you find yourself feeling weighed down by the traditional Thanksgiving spread, give this recipe a try and see if adding more plants into your diet makes a difference!
What You Need to Make This Veggie-Packed Salad
- Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite fall ingredients that are packed with healthy fiber and antioxidants.
- Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them super healthy and ultra-delicious!
- Red Onion: Sliced red onion adds the perfect amount of tang, and, not to mention, a beautiful bright red color!
- Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible. It enhances the flavor of this salad in a way that dried garlic just can’t!
- Olive Oil: A high-quality olive oil goes a long way in adding the perfect flavor to this salad.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: A little salt and pepper is necessary for any good salad recipe, and this recipe is no exception!
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Not only is apple cider vinegar fermented, which means that it can be beneficial for your gut health, but it makes for a great vinegar base for the dressing!
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is key to making the vinaigrette sweet without being overpowering.
- Dijon Mustard: It wouldn’t be a Maple Dijon Vinaigrette without the dijon mustard, which adds a tangy and delicious element to the vinaigrette.
- Dried Thyme: A little bit of dried thyme adds the perfect flavor to the dressing.
- Curly Kale: Of course, this is a Kalejunkie recipe, which means that the base for this salad is none other than KALE! See my notes below for the perfect way to prepare kale so that it is tender and delicious.
- Dried Cranberries: Not only are dried cranberries sweet and delicious, but they also are high in Vitamin C, adding an extra nutritional boost to this recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese: A sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese adds the perfect finishing touch to this salad!
How to Make This Warm & Comforting Winter Salad Recipe
To make this salad, start by preheating your oven to 375 F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, prepare the roasted veggies. Wash and chop the sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and red onion, and add them to a bowl alongside the mashed garlic, sea salt, olive oil, and black pepper. Toss them until the veggies are fully coated in the oil and seasonings, and then transfer the veggies to the baking sheet. Place the tray with the veggies in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the veggies have roasted and have slight char marks on them.
Then, while the veggies are in the oven, prepare the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette by whisking the dressing ingredients together, in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed, then set it aside until the rest of the salad is complete. Next, prepare the kale. Wash and chop the curly kale, removing the stems from the leaves. Chop the kale into small pieces and add it to a large bowl. Then, add a pinch of sea salt to the kale and massage the kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes to break up the fibers.
Once the kale has softened, remove the warm roasted veggies from the oven and add them to the bowl with the kale, followed by the dried cranberries and grated parmesan cheese. Finally, pour the dressing over top of the salad and use your clean hands to toss it, to ensure that all of the veggies and kale are evenly coated in the dressing. Once it’s done, serve it and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
For the Roasted Vegetables:
- 1 Medium Sweet Potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes – this is approximately 1 cup
- 6 Ounces Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half – this is approximately 1 1/2 cups
- 1 Medium Red Onion, sliced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Pinch Sea Salt, to taste
- 1 Pinch Ground Black Pepper, to taste
For the Salad:
- 3 Cups Curly Kale Leaves, chopped with the stems removed and loosely packed
- 1 Pinch Sea Salt, this will be used to help soften the kale!
- ½ Cup Dried Cranberries
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- To make this salad, start by preheating your oven to 375 F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Next, prepare the roasted veggies. Wash and chop the sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and red onion, and add them to a bowl alongside the mashed garlic, sea salt, olive oil, and black pepper. Toss them until the veggies are fully coated in the oil and seasonings, and then transfer the veggies to the baking sheet.
- Place the tray with the veggies in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the veggies have roasted and have slight char marks on them.
- Then, while the veggies are in the oven, prepare the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette by whisking the dressing ingredients together, in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed, then set it aside until the rest of the salad is complete.
- Next, prepare the kale. Wash and chop the curly kale, removing the stems from the leaves. Chop the kale into small pieces and add it to a large bowl.
- Then, add a pinch of sea salt to the kale and massage the kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes to break up the fibers.
- Once the kale has softened, remove the warm roasted veggies from the oven and add them to the bowl with the kale, followed by the dried cranberries and grated parmesan cheese.
- Finally, pour the dressing over top of the salad and use your clean hands to toss it, to ensure that all of the veggies and kale are evenly coated in the dressing.
- Once it's done, serve it and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
This is a restaurant-quality salad! We made Nicole’s perfectly juicy chicken and put it on top of this salad for a delicious, hearty yet not-too-heavy meal the night before Thanksgiving. Thanks, Nicole!
You made my day, Allie — thank you for the kind words!
This was delicious! I made it exactly as written except I used a mixture of Romaine lettuce from my Tower Garden and some curly kale (that I didn’t massage) and I left out the parmagian cheese. I served it for Thanksgiving.
Aw, thank you so much Ann! I’m so glad you loved it and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I used about double the kale because I had a ton I needed to use up. I also added hemp hearts and walnuts. Absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much for the review Kelly!