I have a roasted vegetable addiction but I am not going to apologize (don’t judge, I can think of worse things). In fact, we are sure you are going to thank us for this one. This roasted vegetable quinoa salad with maple balsamic vinaigrette is not only delicious, it’s really pretty (don’t you think so?) and makes a great dish to bring to a party or serve at your own. Roasted vegetables are seriously one of my most favorite things to make and they go so well with so many different ingredients. You’ve seen us do them in salads, as side dishes, mixed with different dressings, paired with pastas, meats and fish…the list goes on. With this dish, we decided to mix some roasted vegetables with yep, you guessed it, another favorite here at GTK… quinoa. We think the tri-color quinoa is so pretty when paired with the other brightly colored (and super yum) ingredients. However, you can use any type of quinoa. We suggest cutting the sweet potatoes and the brussel sprouts into bite sized pieces before you roast them. This will help them cook quickly and be ready to mix in the salad. Just keep an eye on the veggies when they are in the oven so they don’t burn.
The maple balsamic vinaigrette pairs perfectly with this salad because it’s slightly sweet and it brings out the flavors of the roasted vegetables. If you have any leftover dressing store it in the fridge and pour it oven an arugula salad the next day. You should probably just plan on making a little more so you can have it two days in a row, you will be thanking us for this one!!
Stephanie Heymann Photography
- 3 C cooked quinoa
- 1 C roasted brussel sprouts-halved
- 1 C roasted sweet potatoes - diced
- ½ C manchego cheese - cubed
- ⅓ C slivered almond - toasted
- ¼ C dried tart cherries
- 1 Tbsp good quality olive oil
- kosher salt
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ C good quality olive oil
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 425°. Clean the brussel sprouts, cut off stems and outer leaves, then slice in half. Place on baking sheet. Peel skin off of sweet potato and dice into bite sized pieces then place on baking sheet with the brussel sprouts. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Roast in oven for roughly 35 minutes, checking periodically to make sure they don't burn. Once cooked, set aside to cool
- Cook quinoa according to package directions then allow to cool. Once cooled, combine quinoa, roasted vegetables, cheese, cherries and almonds in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
- Drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss to coat.
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