ROASTED HONEY + BALSAMIC SEASONAL VEGETABLE SALAD

This is such a colourful seasonal salad that features the following seasonal veggies (all from my Living Larder Vegetable Box this week): 

• Beetroots

• Carrots

• Leeks

• Rainbow Chard 

I’ve left the Rainbow Chard raw in this salad as I didn’t want to compromise its beautiful colour. The leaves are similar to kale or spinach (just with a slightly bitter, earthy flavour), and the stems are crunchy like celery. Just like kale, spinach and other dark leafy greens, chard is a nutritious power house. It’s high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Roasting the vegetables in honey and balsamic helps to bring out their natural sweetness. You’ll find it hard to resist these lightly caramelised beets, once they are out of the oven….

Serving the roasted veggies and rainbow chard with quinoa makes a nutritious meal. Batch cook the vegetables and quinoa, to make an easy to assemble lunch for the next few days.

Recipe

Servings: 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side 

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized beetroots (scrubbed)

• 4 carrots 

• 1 leek 

• 4 rainbow chard stalks and their leaves

• 250g cooked quinoa 

• 1 tbsp honey 

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds

• Optional extras: feta cheese, cooked chicken 

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

2. Remove the ends from the beetroot and slice into chunky wedges. Place in an oven tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Cook for 40 minutes. 

3. Slice the carrots and the leek into chunks (approximately 2cm in length). 

4. Place the honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar into a small dish and stir until well combined.

5. Add the carrots and leeks into the baking tray (with the partially cooked beetroot), add the dressing and toss the vegetables until evenly coated. Bake for a further 20 minutes. 

6. Whilst the vegetables are cooking place the quinoa in a bowl. Tear the leaves from the rainbow chard stalks, and dice the stalks, before adding to the quinoa. 

7. Once the vegetables are cooked place on top of the quinoa and rainbow chard. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds.