Roasted Parsnip, Pecorino and Kale Salad
I desperately want to be a salad girly but to be completely transparent I can probably count the number of times I’ve craved a salad in the last calendar year on one hand. A salad has to be an absolute banger for me not be channelling my five-year-old self and just pushing leaves around the plate or picking out the good stuff. A good salad needs to have ALL good stuff. Treat each ingredient like it is special.
- If you are roasting vegetables make sure they are perfectly cooked and well seasoned.
- When using citrus properly segment to remove the pith.
- When using fruits that oxidize like apples cut them last or add them to acidulated water to prevent browning.
- When using kale massage the leaves to reduce the bitterness.
- Thoroughly wash your greens.
Keys to making a salad you actually want to eat:
- Making a salad that is all good stuff starts with an absolute banger of a salad dressing. For me, the combination of sweet maple syrup and a zippy Dijon mustard is cold-weather perfection with flavours that are bold enough to stand up to the bitterness of kale.
- Textures can really make or break a meal so keep that in mind when assembling your salad. Here we have crispy yet chewy kale, soft roasted parsnips and red onions, and pomegranate seeds for crunch.
- Optional: Something pickled
Grocery List
Prep?
Everything in this salad lends itself well to preparing in advance.
- The dressing can be made up to five days in advance.
- The kale can be washed and cut up to five days in advance.
- Pomegranate can be seeded up to five days in advance.
- The onions and parsnips can be cut and roasted up to two days in advance.
- The salad will keep dressed for up to 2 days.
Roasted Parsnip, Pecorino and Kale Salad
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chefs Knife
- Vegetable Peeler
- Baking Sheets
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 2 lb Parsnips
- 1 Large Red Onion
- Olivie Oil
- 1 Bunch Kale
- Salt
- 1/2 Cup Pecans
- 1/2 Pomegranate
- 1 Cup Pecorino Romano
Maple Vinaigrette
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Place racks in the middle most positions of your oven. Preheat the oven to 400F and have two baking sheets handy.
- Peel and dice the parsnips into 1/2" pieces and transfer to one of the baking sheets.Peel, halve and slice the red onion into 1/2" slices and transfer to the second baking sheet.
- Drizzle both sheet pans with olive oil and season with salt then toss to coat. Transfer the trays of the vegetables to the oven to roast, flipping halfway. The parsnips will take approximately 30 minutes and the onions will take approximately 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Wash, de-rib and finely chop the kale and add to the bowl with the dressing.Grate the pecorino and add to the kale.Preheat a medium-sized frying pan to medium. Once hot add the pecans and toast stirring frequently until fragrant. Once cool roughly chop the nuts and add to the bowl.Remove the seeds from the pomegranate and set aside. To keep the purple colour from bleeding onto the other ingredients these will be added last.
- When the vegetables have finished roasting let them cool slightly before adding to the bowl with the kale and pecorino, season with salt then toss to combine.
- Serve the salad with the pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
