Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad

A colourful salad for your fall dinner table.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  medium beetroots
• 4  medium carrots
• 4  medium parsnips
• 2  tablespoons olive oil or 2  tablespoons  cooking oil
• 6  fresh walnuts, shelled
• 100  g  mixed salad greens
•  salt and pepper

• For the vinaigrette

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 100  ml sour cream
• 2  tablespoons sherry wine vinegar or 2  tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 100  ml walnut oil, plus extra for drizzling

Directions

1. To cook the beetroots: trim the stalk, not cutting the root as this prevents the beetroot from bleeding.
2. Place the beetroots in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt.
3. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook for 50-60 minutes until tender.
4. Rather than piercing them to check their tenderness, lift the beetroots from the water and gently pull at the skin with your thumb.
5. If the skin feels loose and is easy to remove, the beetroots are ready to be drained and left to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 200C or 400 degrees F.
7. To cook the parsnips and carrots: peel the carrots and parsnips, trim away the top stalk and quarter lengthwise to produce sharp sticks.
8. The central core of the parsnips can also be trimmed away, should they appear to be woody.
9. The vegetables can be roasted from absolutely raw, but a short blanching will give them a creamier finish.
10. Preheat a roasting tray on top of the stove, adding the oil.
11. Add the carrots and parsnips and fry on all sides until well coloured.
12. Season with salt and pepper.
13. Place the roasting tray in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables from time to time, until they are becoming crispy.
14. Remove the vegetables from the oven and season with salt and pepper.
15. These are best served very warm, rather than piping hot.
16. While the carrots and parsnips are roasting, dice the beetroots.
17. To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, soured cream and vinegar.
18. The oil can now be trickled in as you whisk, allowing it to emulsify with the cream.
19. If the dressing is too thick, simply loosen with a little water.
20. Season with salt and pepper.
21. You may only need half to two thirds of the dressing; any leftover can be kept in the fridge for several days to be used with other salads.
22. Once the beetroot is diced, mix half with the dressing and this will create a pink rippled effect.
23. Arrange the carrots and parsnips in a rustic fashion on four serving plates, sprinkling with the remaining diced beetroots.
24. Or, if using grated beetroots, simply divide between the plates.
25. Break the walnut halves into pieces and mix them with the salad leaves, then drizzle with extra walnut oil, if liked.
26. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on top of the carrots and parsnips.
27. Spoon over and around with the beetroot and soured cream dressing to finish.