Every Sunday I head to the farmer’s market or the grocery store to stock up on lots of fruit and veg for the week. For me, it’s less about the meal prep and more about stocking my fridge with versatile vegetables that I know I can use to whip up dinner at a moment’s notice. This recipe shows the ingredients used two ways – one tossed together into a fall harvest salad and one way presented as a macro-style bowl. Picking up five or so veggies each week allows you to make a ton of different dishes. No endless repeats or boring leftovers of the same meal during the week! The stars this week were a bunch of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, a couple heads of kale, and zucchini.

 

The best part of stocking my fridge up is knowing that my fresh vegetables are actually going to stay fresh all week long. I admit there have definitely been times in the past where I’ve come home to a head of kale only to find it wilted, or another vegetable past it’s prime. Best case scenario it ends up in the compost, and worst case – which kills me – it ends up in the trash. My solution is storing (and saving) veggies in the FreshWorks Produce Savers to help extend their shelf life. I transfer them directly to the containers, without washing or prepping, so they stay fresh as long as possible.

 

Beyond this beautiful roasted vegetable salad, you can assemble the bowl macro-style with roasted or steamed vegetables and drizzled with this dressing (turmeric tahini and miso-ginger would also be delicious). Other ideas with these versatile ingredients: make the curry-cauli bowl from my cookbook, try a cauli-rice stir fry, roasted carrots, or roasted cauliflower pasta.

 

GIVEAWAY – I did a giveaway of these life-extending FreshWorks Produce Savers in May and they were a huge hit. The giveaway includes 3 different size containers to store all different shapes and sizes of produce from kale to cauliflower. They are designed to keep your fruits + veggies fresh up to 80% longer*, which can mean up to two weeks! To enter, comment and let me know what your favorite veg-heavy side dish is during the holiday season 🙂

 

*Based on strawberries in FreshWorks containers vs. store packaging. Results may vary depending upon produce and use.

fall harvest salad
fall harvest salad
fall harvest salad
Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 small head of purple or white cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 1 small kabocha squash, slice in half lengthwise, seeded, and cut into thin slices
  • 1 head of kale, deveined and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa
  • 1 zucchini, spiralized

 

For topping:

  • Sliced almonds, toasted
  • Kimchi or raw sauerkraut

 

Tahini-lemon dressing:

  • 1 clove of garlic, finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Pink salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Water to thin, as needed

 

Method

For the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Add water to thin as needed and season to taste. Don’t be afraid to double the dressing to use throughout the week!

 

For the salad: Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Add the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots to one baking sheet and the kabocha squash to the other. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until crispy and golden, about 35 minutes. Give the pans a nice shake and flip halfway through.

 

Meanwhile, add the kale to a large mixing bowl with a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage the kale with clean hands until volume decreases by about half and the kale turns bright green. Add the zucchini and quinoa into the bowl and toss with a bit of the salad dressing.

 

Pull the vegetables out of the oven when ready and give them a little drizzle of good olive oil, squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt. Toss a couple handfuls of each into the kale bowl and gently toss with more dressing until well coated. Season to taste and serve in a big bowl topped with toasted almonds and raw sauerkraut.

 

Note: this recipe is designed to make extra veggies. If you want a super big hearty salad or side dish for the whole fam, throw them all in. If not, reserve some for macro bowls and other variations throughout the week.

This post is in partnership with Rubbermaid. Thanks for supporting brands that support Clean Food Dirty City – all opinions are my own.