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A roasted vegetable spinach salad is a delicious and healthy way to start the new year!
Salads are summer foods in my opinion. Fresh produce is not great in the winter, and when it’s cold, I want something warm and comforting. A cold salad generally doesn’t appeal to me.
I say generally because there are times when that’s not necessarily true. First is when it’s an unseasonably warm winter (we’re about 30 degrees warmer than normal right now!)
The second is usually in January when I’ve spent the last month (or two, if we’re being honest) eating cheese, testing out cookie and pie recipes, and too many cocktails.
Those times are fun for sure, and I enjoy every moment of it. But at a certain point, my body starts craving green foods. And not the kind with food coloring and sprinkles.
So salads like this are perfect. It’s not only healthy, but pairing warm roasted veggies with fresh spinach and a quick and easy balsamic vinaigrette, and you’ve got a winner. Oh, and a bit of blue cheese, because as much as I wish it were true, I never really get tired of cheese.
You can use whatever veggies you like here. I used Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes because they’re faves of mine and I had them on hand. But any root veggie, cabbage, or even cauliflower would be great. A pinch of coarse salt and you’re good.
Oh, and I didn’t even mention the best part of this salad — the cornbread croutons! This is a great use of leftover cornbread, as the croutons will become crispier. But if you have fresh, it’s still good. Just cube your cornbread as soon as you realize you’re going to make this and let it sit on the counter.
All in all, this roasted vegetable spinach salad is a healthy winter meal that I think you’ll come back to again and again.
Spinach Salad with Roasted Winter Vegetables and Cornbread Croutons
Hearty winter vegetables make a spinach salad delectable, especially when paired with cornbread croutons and blue cheese.
Equipment
Ingredients
Cornbread croutons:
- 2-3 slices day old cornbread cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Roasted Vegetables:
- 1 cup quartered Brussels sprouts
- 1 sweet potato peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Salad:
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss the cornbread croutons in olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until browned and lightly crisp.
- Remove and transfer to a bowl or plate to cool..
- Toss the vegetables with the oil and seasonings and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on the same baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, until browned and tender.
- To make the dressing, put all ingredients in a jar and shake well. Taste, adjust seasonings.
- Add your spinach to a big bowl. Add the warm vegetables, croutons, dressing and cheese. Toss well before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 692kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 10gFat: 55gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 449mgPotassium: 1295mgFiber: 7gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 29713IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 288mgIron: 6mg
Nutrition information is only an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. View full nutrition disclousre.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
