This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
With sweet potatoes, parsnips, onion, quinoa, apples and fresh herbs, if you were to put the taste of Thanksgiving in a healthy salad, this roasted Thanksgiving salad recipe is what you're looking for.
Salad with quinoa? Some people think if there isn’t lettuce it isn’t a salad but that’s not the case. And I love to use quinoa in my salads – from summer quinoa salad to buffalo chicken quinoa salad to mango kale quinoa salad. All quite different, but all super tasty and today's recipe might be my favorite.
Close your eyes and think of all the wonderful tastes of Thanksgiving. Make this salad, and you have all of that in one bowl. If "Thanksgiving" was a flavor, this roasted Thanksgiving salad is what it would be.
I came across this recipe in an Alton Brown cookbook and we made it for the first time a year ago and were both hooked. What makes this fall salad so great is you don't have to actually serve it on Thanksgiving.
It actually makes for a great make-ahead lunch as well. But don't get me wrong, if you want a make-ahead salad to serve on Thanksgiving, you should consider this.
And while it may not be a traditional "salad" and can be viewed more as a side, depending on when you eat it, either way you can't go wrong with this Thanksgiving salad.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Veggies - the subtle sweetness from sweet potatoes and nuttiness from parsnips really bring out the fall flavors.
- Apples - complements the veggies and makes this taste like Thanksgiving.
- Herbs - the combination of fresh herbs like thyme, sage and rosemary give you that fall feel.
- Quinoa - a power food that is the base for the Thanksgiving salad recipe.
- Dressing - by making a simple dressing with oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and mustard, you really enhance the salad.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I like sweet potatoes in this salad, butternut squash and pumpkins are good substitutes.
- I'm a fan of parsnips for something different, but carrots are a good substitute.
- If you don't have red onions, white, yellow, shallots or sweet onions will work too. They all high slightly different flavors.
- If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs but just use ⅓rd of the amount as they are more potent.
- This is a quinoa salad, but barley, couscous or rice can be used instead.
Step-by-Step Photos
Mix the veggies with olive oil and salt and place on a baking sheet. Roast at 425°F for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While roasting the veggies, cook the quinoa according to package instructions with salt and cinnamon.
Make the dressing by shaking all of the ingredients in jar and then toss the veggies, quinoa, herbs, apples and dressing together. Add the pepitas just before serving.
FAQs
Yes. In general, butternut squash and pumpkin are a great replacement for sweet potatoes and cook in about the same amount of time.
Yes. You get the nutrients of the vegetables, fruit and quinoa and the dressing is lighter and has less sugar than most salad dressings.
Yes. Since there is no leafy greens, you can toss everything together and the taste will just meld. You can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I actually like to serve this Thanksgiving salad at room temperature or even warm.
Benefits of Quinoa
Quinoa has become super popular and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of quinoa include
- Contains all nine essential amino acids.
- Has twice as much fiber as other grains which lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels.
- Contains iron which keeps our red blood cells healthy.
- Has lysine which is essential for tissue growth and repair.
- Is rich in magnesium which relaxes blood vessels.
- High in riboflavin which improves energy metabolism.
- Contains a high content of manganese which is an antioxidant.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Be consistent with your diced vegetables. You want them to cook in the same amount of time. If you decide to dice the vegetables at 1 inch instead of ½ inch, just keep in mind they'll take longer to cook.
- Mix and match your vegetables. If you don't like parsnips, use carrots. And as I mentioned above, butternut squash or pumpkin are great substitutes for sweet potatoes. Or even russet potatoes.
- By placing all of the dressing ingredients in a jar, it is much quicker/easier to emulsify rather than whisking.
- Serve the salad at room temperature. This is a salad that is best served at room temperature or even warm. If making this roasted Thanksgiving salad ahead, just pull out of the fridge one hour before serving.
Other Salad Recipes
If you’ve tried this Thanksgiving salad recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Roasted Thanksgiving Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½" pieces
- 1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into ½" pieces
- 1 small red onion, diced
- ¼ cup + 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple, cut into ½" pieces
- 4 oz pepitas, roasted
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Place the cut sweet potatoes, parsnips and onion in a large bowl. Toss with 3 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Spread evenly onto a large cookie sheet. Roast for 15 min, then toss the vegetables, and roast for an additional 15 min or until vegetables start to brown and are tender. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the quinoa.
- Bring 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk the rinsed quinoa into the boiling water, add cinnamon, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15-20 min.
- Combine ¼ cup olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard and ½ teaspoon salt in a jar. Shake to emulsify.
- Toss the vegetables, quinoa, thyme, sage, rosemary, apples, and dressing together in a large bowl. Add pepitas just before serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Be consistent with your diced vegetables. You want them to cook in the same amount of time. If you decide to dice the vegetables at 1 inch instead of ½ inch, just keep in mind they'll take longer to cook.
- Mix and match your vegetables. If you don't like parsnips, use carrots. And as I mentioned above, butternut squash or pumpkin are great substitutes for sweet potatoes. Or even russet potatoes.
- By placing all of the dressing ingredients in a jar, it is much quicker/easier to emulsify rather than whisking.
- Serve at room temperature. This is a salad that is best served at room temperature or even warm. If making ahead, just pull out of the fridge one hour before serving.
Chris says
Love the orange bowls. Where did you get them?
Ryan says
Actually found them at HomeGoods!