Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

This warm root vegetable salad with pomegranate molasses dressing is perfect for an autumn meal, hearty but tangy, a nice transition from lighter summer salads.

When are vegetables a salad and not just a side dish? For me, it’s the dressing that makes the difference to what this dish is called. If I parboiled the root vegetables, roasted them and simply added butter, this would not be a salad! 

I give the approximate weight of the root vegetables I used below but feel free to mix it up and substitute an approximate amount of your favorites. My mom would probably welcome turnips here. I’m not a fan but maybe you are. Can’t find Jerusalem artichokes? Use more of the other vegetables or substitute potatoes. 

That said, the dressing goes best if the root vegetables do have some innate sweetness, like parsnips and carrots do. 

Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

This dish serves two as a light lunch with, perhaps, some crusty bread, and four as a side dish. If you have a bigger roasting pan, it is also easily doubled. Pomegranate molasses can be found at most Middle Eastern stores and occasionally in the international aisle of some supermarkets. 

Ingredients

For the warm root vegetable salad:

11 1/3 oz or 320g Jerusalem artichokes 

2.2 lbs or 500g parsnips

7 oz or 200g carrots

1 small brown onion

4 cloves garlic

Generous drizzle olive oil

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To stop the peeled vegetables from oxidizing:

Bowl of cold water

2-3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

For the dressing: 

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

(The garlic above after roasting)

Method

Get a pan of water on to boil for steaming the vegetables. 

Peel the artichokes and cut them in half, adding them to the bowl with cold water and the lemon or lime juice to stop them turning brown. Small ones can be left whole. 

Peel the parsnips and cut them into large pieces, Add them to the lemon water as well.  

Peel and cut the carrots into large pieces and place them in a steamer basket above the boiling water. Drain and add the artichokes and parsnips. 

Cover and steam for about 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are just tender. 

While the vegetables are steaming, start your oven to preheat at 400°F or 200°C. Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. 

When the vegetables are just tender, tip them into a roasting pan where they fit in a single layer. 

Tuck the onion wedges and garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled, in among the vegetables. Pour over the drizzle of oil, season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Toss the vegetables gently to make sure they are coated in the oil and seasonings. Roast in your preheated oven for about an hour or until they are golden. 

Check that they are soft inside. If they start to brown too much or too early, turn the oven down to 350°F or 180°C.

While the vegetables are roasting, make the dressing by whisking the olive oil into the pomegranate molasses in a small bowl. 

As soon as the roasted root vegetables come out of the oven, remove the garlic cloves and peel them.

Use the side of a large knife to mash them with a good pinch of fine sea salt. 

Add them to the dressing and whisk well to combine. 

Spoon over the dressing over the vegetables. 

Serve warm.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today my blogger friends and I are sharing recipes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival which takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. This year, Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Friday, September 29, 2023. Check out all the recipe links below!

• Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Crockpot Mexican Butternut Squash Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Fresh Fig Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Golden Moon Milk from Culinary Cam
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Sambar from Cook with Renu
• Keto Chilled Cucumber & Avocado Soup from Sneha's Recipe
• Smashed Potatoes from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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