Name: Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Simple Healthy Recipes
Ingredients: 4 small beets, sliced into rounds; 2 large carrots, sliced into rounds; 2 large parsnips, sliced into rounds; 1 large fennel bulb, sliced into rounds; 1 tablespoon avocado oil; 2 chicken sausages*; 2 cups spinach; 2 cups arugula

A Whole30, Paleo, one-bowl meal…

I just love combining my meals into one big, cozy bowl, don’t you? My Roasted Root Vegetable Salad has got it all—warm, caramelized fennel, parsnips, carrots, beets, and chicken sausage, over a bed of greens, with my super easy Creamy Dairy-Free Chipotle Dressing abundantly drizzled on top. So tasty and comforting!

This dish is my Paleo version of a Buddha Bowl. Buddha Bowls have gained a lot of popularity in the vegan space recently, combining lots of veggies, grains, and legumes into one colorful, beautiful mess.

Since I only occasionally eat grains and legumes, I wanted to make an equally as abundant recipe that had more protein from the chicken (which my personal dietary trial and errors have taught me is best for my body). You can obviously leave the chicken sausage off and go with some white beans and/or quinoa if you prefer!

This is the perfect salad to eat from fall through spring. The hardy root vegetables are totally warming and satiating while providing you with tons of beneficial nutrients to stay healthy as the seasons change.

The bed of spinach and arugula are an extra bonus, as they make it easy to get some greens in your diet even when it’s cold out—I know I generally eat less salad when the temperatures start to dip, so I try to sneak them in with warm veggies and spices.

I just had to have something creamy to drizzle all over this beauty of a salad and I knew a little spice would go with the sweetness of the root vegetables really nicely. My Creamy Dairy-Free Chipotle Dressing is a simple combo of avocado mayo, lemon juice, coconut milk, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika. It has the perfect balance of textures and flavors and adds an extra layer of warmth to this Roasted Root Vegetable Salad.

A quick word about avocado mayonnaise—most mayo is made with canola oil or soybean oil, two ingredients I really try my best to stay away from due to their heavy omega-6 content, which can be inflammatory and is already very present in the American diet. These oils are also often from genetically modified plants and are heavily processed, without much nutritional benefit.

Avocado oil, on the other hand, is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants and can be cold-pressed to create a nutrient-dense, minimally refined oil. You can get yourself some avocado oil right here on Amazon:

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As a member of the Amazon Affiliates program, I do get a small commission for anything you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you!

I also want to point out the sweet and earthy parsnips included in this Roasted Root Vegetable Salad. This carrot-like veggie has such a unique taste, which pairs perfectly with the rest of these ingredients and the tangy dressing. Parsnips have a lot of wonderful nutritional benefits in addition to their distinct flavor.

Let me first mention their high vitamin C content, which is an awesome complement to the iron in the beets, as plant-based iron (called non-heme iron) is better absorbed with vitamin C. Parsnips also contain a good bit of soluble fiber, which is great for balancing cholesterol and improving digestion to help you eliminate toxins efficiently.

These white roots are also great for heart health, supporting balanced blood pressure thanks to their potassium content and reducing homocysteine (and subsequent heart disease risk) thanks to their folate.

To start making this gorgeous, nourishing, Roasted Root Vegetable Salad let’s start with cooking our veggies. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss your chopped veggies (carrots, beets, parsnips, and fennel) in the avocado oil and spread over two baking sheets, then just sprinkle with sea salt and fresh black pepper. If you want everything prettily plated, I suggest keeping the beets separate or they will color all of the other veggies a bit red.

Pop your baking sheets in the oven for 15 minutes, and while the veggies are roasting get your dressing ready.

Grab a small jar, and toss in the avocado mayonnaise, lemon juice, coconut milk, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika. Stir it all together and add a little extra coconut milk if it’s not quite drizzly enough. That’s it! You’ll want to have this dressing in the fridge at all times for everything from salads to wraps to omelets to steaks.

If you’re using chicken sausage, add two of them on to one of the baking sheets (after the veggies have roasted for 10 minutes). I usually just make the whole package and use the extra for leftovers! Hooray for easy, healthy meal prep. Then, cook the veggies and sausage for another 15 minutes, until the veggies are all fork tender and sausage is browned.

When shopping for sausage, be sure to read the ingredients! Some of them are really bad for you while others have clean ingredients. I used Bilinski’s Spinach & Garlic with Fennel Chicken Sausage for this recipe, which is my favorite brand of sausage to buy—made of free-range chicken and free from gluten, preservatives, and casings. This specific flavor is also free of any added sugar! And they taste amazing.

Pull both trays from the oven and allow to cool for a moment. Next, slice the sausage into rounds and start building your bountiful Roasted Root Vegetables Salad.

Prepare two medium bowls by tossing a handful of spinach and arugula into each bowl. Layer the veggies onto the greens, then add your sausage or any other proteins you’d like to use (beans, grains, seeds). NOW, get reeaaalllll generous with that Creamy Dairy-Free Chipotle Dressing. YES.

Dig in! This vibrant, rainbow-hued Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Creamy Dairy-Free Chipotle Dressing is so comforting and satisfying, fulfilling all your nutritional needs in one easy dish.

Do you have a favorite comfort food that you’d love to make healthier? Leave me a comment and I’ll use it for future recipe inspiration! As always, thanks for following Food to Feel Good <3

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Author: Food to Feel Good
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Category: Salads, Dinner
Method: Roasting
Cuisine: Simple Healthy Recipes

Description

This hardy, vibrant salad is a one-bowl nutritional wonder! It’s sweet, savory, spicy, and satisfying. Plus it’s really easy to make!

Ingredients

4 small beets, sliced into rounds
2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
2 large parsnips, sliced into rounds
1 large fennel bulb, sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 chicken sausages*
2 cups spinach
2 cups arugula

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Lay beets, carrots, parsnips, and fennel on two baking sheets and drizzle with avocado oil. Toss vegetables in the oil, keeping beets separate to avoid staining everything red.
Place baking sheets in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Then remove one tray, add chicken sausage, and place back in oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
While root vegetables are roasting, divide spinach and arugula into two bowls.
Remove trays from oven and allow to cool several minutes. Then slice sausage into rounds and layer root vegetables and sausage over the greens.
Top with a generous drizzle of Creamy Dairy-Free Chipotle Dressing and serve!

Notes

*I used Bilinski’s Spinach & Garlic with Fennel Chicken Sausage for these bowls. They are made from free-range chicken, and free from preservatives, gluten, soy, sugar, and casings.

*Vegan Option: add quinoa and/or white beans instead of sausage.