Rustic Root Vegetable Salad with Citrus and Thyme

By tiptoesinthekitchen • September 30, 2010 • 2 Comments

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Rustic Root Vegetable Salad with Citrus and Thyme — 1 of 2 Photo by tiptoesinthekitchen

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Author Notes: This was inspired by my love of roasted butternut squash and parsnips in the fall. Sara Foster has a wonderful recipe for rosemary caramelized parsnips that I'm crazy for, and I wanted to do a big spin on that. I like it because it's easy to put together and can be eaten warm or cool, is filling and healthy. Also, there are different flavor elements in each bite, without being too overwhelming - a tangy punch from the orange zest, sweetness from the cranberries, toasty from the pine nuts, herby lemon from the fresh thyme and creaminess from the goat cheese. It's great for fall! - tiptoesinthekitchen - tiptoesinthekitchen

Food52 Review: The roasted vegetables in tiptoesinthekitchen's salad have wonderful crisp, caramelized edges. A smattering of chunks of goat cheese and pine nuts is the perfect way to complete the salad. – Stephanie - A&M

Serves 1-2

3 parsnips
1 medium sized butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1 orange (zested and then halved)
several sprigs of fresh thyme
about 1/8 of a cup of toasted pine nuts
a handful of dried cranberries
goat cheese

Peel the parsnips with a vegetable peeler, cut them in half and cut diagonally (they should sort of resemble french fries).
Peel the butternut squash with a big, sharp knife and cut into cube sized pieces.
Put the parsnips and squash in one bowl. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, olive oil and honey and whisk together. Then pour over the vegetables and toss with a big spoon or spatula until they are evenly coated.
Place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with kosher salt and several fresh thyme leaves. Give a little squeeze of half of the orange, for a little juice. Place in the 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, checking a few times in between to toss the vegetables and shake the pan a little.
Put the vegetables in a large bowl, add the toasted pine nuts (these can be toasted at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes - make sure you shake the pan), the dried cranberries and the orange zest. Toss together. Add a few little dollops of goat cheese on top and serve!