5 Delicious Salads With Roasted Vegetables

We are used to salads being always (or almost always) mixtures of fresh raw vegetables, with bases such as lettuce and tomato. In other articles I have talked about how to incorporate other ingredients, such as legumes and cereals or seeds and fruits. Today I recommend using roasted vegetables for your salads.

Let’s see first how to grill the vegetables and then the five salads that I propose.

How to Roast Vegetables in the Oven for Salad

There are many vegetables that we can roast in the oven. Each vegetable and vegetable has special characteristics that must be taken into account when preparing them as an ingredient in salads or other dishes.

• Red and green peppers. If you grill a good amount you will have raw material for a lot of dishes, not just salads . With them you can make stir-fry bases, stews, stews or rice dishes, they serve you very well for sandwiches and sandwiches, for vegetable patés, creams, etc. You can roast them in the oven or on the grill, over a hot flame. In either case, make sure that only the skin is burned (which is then removed) and that they are well done, very soft and juicy. The liquid they release is wonderful for the dishes you are going to make, do not throw it away.
• Tomatoes. Roasted tomatoes have less water (evaporates) and more concentrated flavor. They are excellent to give an extra flavor to any tomato sauce, to make very juicy salads or to make colorful and exquisite spreads and spreads. Use tomatoes that are in season, as long as they are ripe, preferably varieties that are usually used for sauces (pear or vine tomato, for example).
• Onions. Roasted onion has a much milder aroma and flavor than raw or sautéed. It is also much softer and easier to incorporate into preparations that require creamy ingredients (for example, a cream, a stir-fry or a vegetable pate). Use any type of onion you like, just peel the outer layers (the ones that look like paper) before putting them in the oven.
• Garlic If you like the taste of garlic, but it is repeated a lot, try roasting some heads. In this way the garlic is very, very tender, creamy, but without the pungency that they can have raw. With one or two roasted garlic heads you have a good season. Roast them whole, skin and all. When they cool you can peel them. In the fridge they will last up to 2 weeks in a tightly closed container.
• Eggplants. It is one of the stars of the asados. Inside it is almost all air and at first glance it seems little, but when you roast it everything changes. The pulp or meat becomes tender, creamy and with a very special flavor. It is used in a lot of dishes like babaganoush. Another advantage of roasted aubergine is that you don’t need anything else, you don’t have to fry it or cook it again (unless you want to do it for some reason). You can roast the whole aubergines, piercing them several times with a knife or fork, or in halves, making a few cuts in the meat and salting them slightly.
• Courgettes Like aubergines, roasted zucchini have a very tender meat and a very different flavor than if we made them steamed or sautéed. This texture can be used to make vegetable patés, creams or dips. You can grill the zucchini whole or cut in half lengthwise, just like the eggplants.
• Other greens and vegetables. Radishes, turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes … all of them are great roasted. It is also a way of having prepared ingredients without having to pay much attention to them. You just have to put them in the oven at 200ºC and roast for at least 45 minutes. If they are very large they may take longer (for example, the potato), so it is better to cut them into smaller pieces so that everything is done at once in less time.

Mechouia salad (my favorite!)

In the regions of North Africa and the Middle East, salads are very varied, both in ingredients and in textures and temperatures. One of the differences is the use of vegetables cooked on the grill, broiled or roasted in the oven.

The Mechouia salad, typical of Tunisia among other places, is one of my favorites. It looks more like a cream or a pâté –in fact it can be used as such– and it goes very well to accompany vegetable dishes such as curries and stews.

Ingredients

• 2 roasted red peppers
• 1 roasted green pepper
• 4 roasted branch or pear tomatoes
• A handful of olives
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Once roasted, remove the skins from the peppers and tomatoes and chop everything together with the mixer or with a fork.
2. Season it with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and put the olives on top.
3. Serve it cold or warm.

Eggplant and yogurt salad

This salad can be served chilled in summer as an accompaniment to any dish. It also serves as a sauce for pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 roasted aubergines
• ¼ teaspoon oregano
• 1 unsweetened, unflavored soy yogurt
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Remove the skin from the aubergines and put the meat in a bowl.
2. Mix it with the rest of the ingredients with a fork, mashing a little so that there are no large pieces.
3. You can leave it in the fridge until serving time.

Cilantro and tomato salad

One of the coolest you can make, especially when the heat arrives. Serves as a starter and to accompany rice dishes and pasta dishes. It can also be used to make toasts for breakfast or a snack.

Ingredients

• 5 roasted branch or pear tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove roasted
• 1 bunch (50g) fresh coriander leaves
• A handful of fresh parsley
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Peel the tomatoes and put them in the chopper along with the garlic, coriander and parsley.
2. Chop everything by pressing several times (it does not have to be pureed, just cut into pieces).
3. Put it in a serving dish and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. You can keep it in the fridge, in a tightly closed container, for up to 4 days.

Potato and radish salad

It is similar to a country salad, with a slightly spicy touch from the radishes. You can serve it with a little veganesa (vegetable mayonnaise) on top.

Ingredients

• 3 medium roast potatoes
• 6-8 roasted radishes
• A handful of chives
• Lemon juice
• Salt

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and dice them.
2. Cut the radishes into small pieces.
3. Finely chop the chives and mix with the potatoes and radishes. Season it with lemon juice and salt.
4. You can serve it warm or cold.

Roasted carrot salad

It goes very well with any dish, especially those of rice and legumes.

Ingredients

• 4 roasted carrots
• A handful of coriander (just the leaves)
• A handful of parsley
• 4 tablespoons of tahini
• a pinch of salt
• Lemon juice

Preparation

1. Cut the carrots into strips.
2. Finely chop the coriander and parsley and mix.
3. Serve the carrots with a pinch of salt, the tahini and the lemon on top. Mix them with the coriander and parsley before eating.