I eat a lot of salad. And while I love a simple salad, sometimes I just want to spice it up and send it over the top. And this salad is just that! It’s the best of all worlds – the roasted veggies are sweet and flavorful, while the raw greens and pomegranates add a nice crunch and tartness that deepen the flavor and texture. The ginger-hemp seed dressing is the creamy goodness that pulls it all together. It no longer has to be a decision of heathy OR delicious – this is definitely both of those and then some!!
Serves 4 Prep time: 1 hour
Veggies and Salad:
- 4 cups broccoli, or other cruciferous veggie (ie Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, etc), separated into bite size pieces
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped or in rings
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cups butternut squash chopped or spiralized
- Other veggie of choice? (ie zucchini, summer squash, green beans, etc)
- Balsamic vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Leafy green lettuce of choice
- Sesame seeds, lightly toasted
- Pomegranate arils
Ginger-Hemp Seed Dressing:
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- ½ cup hemp seeds (or other nuts or seeds of choice)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1teaspoon Bragg’s amino acids
- 1 small garlic clove or ½ of large one, peeled
- ½ cup water
Instructions:
- Spread all veggies onto cooking sheet and try to prevent too much overlapping.
- Sprinkle with Balsamic vinegar and toss. Sprinkle with garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Bake at350°F for 30 minutes, until veggies are soft and cooked through. Be sure to stir them every 10 minutes or so, to prevent excess browning or burning.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
- Place veggies on top of bed of greens of choice.
- For dressing– place all ingredients in high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Top salad with dressing.
- Sprinkle with lightly toasted sesame seeds and pomegranate arils.
- Enjoy!
Great as a to-go salad, too!
