Roasted Vegetable Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing

This salad is so delicious and so perfect for fall. The flavors of the Roasted Vegetables pair really well together in this yummy little salad.

I paired different types of fall vegetables with simple spices to make the most epic fall salad. There is a little coconut oil in this salad but you can omit the oil and salt in this recipe if you prefer. It will still taste very good. You can swap out the baby kale/spinach mix for kale or another type of green.  Let’s get this recipe going so you can make this wonderful salad for your self or family.

INGREDIENTS:

greens of choice

1 acorn squash

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 cups of Brussels sprouts, ends cut and halved

4 small or 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

2 small or 1 large cucumber, cut into rounds

vegan chicken of choice ( i used the gardein brand)

SEASONINGS:

salt and pepper to taste ( optional)

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp tajin seasoning mix (optional)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)

1 1/2 tsp coconut oil, melted

DRESSING:

1/4 cup tahini

juice of 1 lemon

water

salt and pepper to taste (optional)

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp spicy brown mustard

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425*.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and either save or discard. Cut those halves into halves and lay on the parchment lined pan. Rub a little coconut oil on the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
2.  while the squash is cooling go ahead and peel and prep your vegetables( do not cook the cucumber or greens). Place in a bowl and pour over the melted coconut oil and all the spices. Mix well and transfer to the parchment lined pan. spread out evenly over 3/4 of the pan. place 3-4 pieces of vegan chicken on the other half of the pan or you can use tofu slices that have been sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices and patted dry. bake for 45-55 minutes removing the chicken or tofu when they are golden brown. It took mine to brown in 20-25 minutes. keep an eye on them. remove the chicken or tofu to cool while the vegetables continue to cook and brown up.
3. while the vegetables continue to cook we can make the dressing. in a small bowl combine the tahini, lemon juice, brown mustard, soy sauce and if using the salt and pepper. whisk until smooth adding water to get a pourable dressing like consistency. taste and adjust the seasonings to taste. set aside until the vegetables are done cooking and nice and golden brown.
4. when the vegetables are done cooking let them cool at least 10 minutes before assembling the salad. while the vegetables are cooling carefully peel the skin from the acorn squash and cut into cubes and place in a bowl.
5. now let’s assemble. place a bed of greens in a bowl or on a plate and top with the roasted vegetables and squash. Add a few cucumbers and top with your tahini dressing. I also added a few green olives and pickled okra, well….. just because they are good and good for digestion.

these vegetables are really good as a side dish or just by themselves. I’ve done them both because apparently, I made to many my first go round. I managed to eat every last bite. I love fall and all the fall food, decor and smells. I can’t wait to dive into a vegan Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I have a few things I want to veganize and create. I am super excited.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe and, I can’t wait to recreate and create many, many more. Happy Holidays!