Winter Root Vegetable Bowl (Printable)

Roasted seasonal roots with massaged kale and warm vinaigrette

# What You'll Need:

→ Root Vegetables

01 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
03 - 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
04 - 1 small beet, peeled and cut into wedges
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
07 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme

→ Greens

09 - 4 cups curly kale, stemmed and torn
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1 pinch salt

→ Warm Dressing

12 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
13 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
15 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
16 - 1 small shallot, minced
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Toppings

18 - 0.25 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
19 - 0.25 cup crumbled feta cheese

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, toss carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and beet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Roast vegetables for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and caramelized.
04 - Massage kale with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt until slightly softened. Set aside.
05 - Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced shallot and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey or maple syrup. Whisk until combined and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
06 - Divide massaged kale among four bowls. Top with roasted root vegetables. Drizzle with warm dressing.
07 - Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled feta. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bowl comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you want something that feels nourishing without fussing for hours.
  • Roasting the vegetables brings out a natural sweetness that makes you forget this is technically healthy food.
  • It's endlessly adaptable—swap vegetables with seasons, add grains, use whatever greens you have on hand.
02 -
  • Don't skip the massage step with kale—I learned this the hard way by serving a bowl with raw kale to my mother and watching her struggle through it politely, her jaw working overtime.
  • The warm dressing makes all the difference; cold vinaigrettes feel wrong against roasted vegetables, but warm dressing brings everything into conversation with itself.
03 -
  • Cut all vegetables to roughly the same size so they finish roasting at the same time—I learned this after eating overdone beets and underdone carrots in the same bowl.
  • Toast your own pumpkin seeds if you have them; the difference between store-bought and toasted-at-home is the difference between background flavor and something memorable.
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