The recipe for this summer salad is inspired by one of my all time favorite summer dishes – Alice Water’s ratatouille. When summer rolls around,  I begin to make it on repeat. Using the same vegetables of the season, this bowl is instead infused with subtle moroccan spices, crunchy toasted almonds, sweet chopped dates, and a tangy herb dressing (aka it’s completely addictive).

If you thought batch cooking roasted veggies was only a winter thing, think again. It’s still perfect for the summer –  we’re about more than just raw veggies and it makes for an incredibly easy Sunday meal prep. The key here is to spread the veggies out and give them some room on a large baking sheet so they don’t steam. You can easily kick up the protein by adding chickpeas to the veggies while roasting or topping the bowl with a soft boiled egg – my fav! Cauli rice would also be great in place of quinoa here. 

Enjoy as a bowl like pictured or toss all the veggies, quinoa, almonds, and herbs together for an easily storable/transportable #notsaddesklunch. Drizzle with lots of the herb sauce (which I realized I must be obsessed with because it is very similar to this one) and serve with seasonal greens.

moroccan vegetable summer salad
Ingredients
Serves 4
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 2 zucchini/summer squash
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow onion
  • Handful of grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeeze orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon pink salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Herb Sauce

  • 2 cups cilantro
  • 1 cup mint
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon pink salt
  • 1 date, chopped
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Serve with

  • 3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry)
  • Arugula and spinach (or your favorite greens)
  • 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
  • Optional but recommended: a few chopped dates, green olives, pitted and chopped (my fav are Castelvetrano), a few leaves of torn mint

 

Method

For the veggies: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut all the veggies into about 1/2 inch pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, orange and lemon juice, and spices. Pour over the veggies and toss well. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until cooked though and golden. Toss halfway though.

For the sauce: Combine all the ingredients in the the blender and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to blend and season with salt and lime to taste.

To serve: Serve vegetables with quinoa, greens, almonds, dates, olives, and torn mint.