WARM WINTER HARVEST SALAD WITH ROASTED SHALLOT DRESSING
on Feb 13, 2025, Updated Jul 22, 2025
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Every bite of this harvest salad is a joy to eat! Sweet, salty, and full of fresh flavor, this is the ultimate salad for the winter months.
Let me introduce you to my husband Kyle’s all-time favorite salad: Warm Winter Harvest Salad with Roasted Shallot Dressing. It’s a mouthful of a name because there are just soooo many good flavors involved!
Sweet potatoes and beets — two quintessential wintertime veggies — are roasted in the oven until perfectly tender.
These are tossed with warm nutty farro or quinoa (choose the latter if you want to make this gluten-free or want to sneak some more protein into your diet).
Hearty kale acts as the base, making it great for meal prep. Fun toppings like flakey almonds, sunflower seeds, and fresh chopped basil give it an extra pop.
But the real star is the Roasted Shallot Dressing. I’m a huge fan of making my own salad dressings because I can control what type of oil I’m eating and how much salt I’m consuming. Not to mention, many bottled dressings contain hidden sugars and sweeteners!
The sweetness in this infamous dressing comes from roasting shallots and garlic. Pop them on the same sheet pan as your potatoes and beets to make this extra easy for you.
So if you need a healthy side for the holidays or looking to switch up your meal prep routine, give this salad (aka, Kyle’s fave salad) a try! You won’t be disappointed! Enjoy!
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Ingredients for Winter Harvest Salad
A grain, leafy greens, hearty carbs, and a savory dressing make this salad worthwhile! Here’s all you need.
- Grain: Farro is an ancient grain that has a chewy, nutty taste! It’s great in salads like this. For my fellow gluten-free friends, go ahead and use either quinoa or brown rice. It’ll be just as delicious!
- Veggies: Sweet potatoes and beets become even sweeter when roasted in a hot oven. Chop them in equal sizes to ensure they cook evenly. Curly kale acts as the base of the salad. Massage it with the shallot dressing to help make it easier to digest.
Pin this recipe for later!
Pin It- Toppings: Flakey almonds, sunflower seeds, and chopped basil are somewhat unexpected pops of flavor. The combo is divine!
- Roasted Shallot Dressing: For the dressing, you’ll need shallots, garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Warm Winter Salad with Roasted Shallot Dressing
Let’s get cooking! Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Cut the sweet potatoes and beets into 1/2-inch cubes.
Add the cut veggies to a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Add four small shallots and two garlic cloves for the dressing to the same sheet pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
While the veggies are roasting, cook the farro or quinoa according to package instructions.
Recipe Tip
The cooking time for farro can vary depending on which time you buy. Pearled, semi-pearled, and whole farro will all have different cooking instructions. The Trader Joe’s 10-minute farro is a great, quick-cooking option. Cook in chicken broth instead of water for even more flavor!
Remove the veggies from the oven.
Make the shallot dressing by adding the roasted shallots and garlic to a food processor along with ¾ cup of olive oil, ⅓ cup of balsamic vinegar, 3 teaspoons of honey, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
Process until smooth and creamy.
When ready to assemble, add the roasted veggies along with the almonds, sunflower seeds, and basil to a medium-sized serving bowl. Toss everything with the shallot dressing.
Serve and ENJOY!
Other Cozy Wintertime Recipes:
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Roasted Shallot Pomegranate Dressing
- Braised Pork with Sauerkraut and Apples
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Shepherd’s Pie
- Rustic Tuscan Style Chicken Soup
- Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Root Vegetables
WARM WINTER HARVEST SALAD WITH ROASTED SHALLOT DRESSING
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked farro (or quinoa for a gluten-free option)
- 2 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 small beets, scrubbed or skin removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups kale, shredded
- ⅓ cup flaked almonds
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- ⅓ cup basil, chopped
- Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut the sweet potatoes and beets into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Add your cut beets and sweet potatoes (and shallots and garlic cloves for the vinaigrette) to a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- While the veggies are roasting, cook the farro or quinoa according to package instructions.
- Remove the veggies from the oven.
- Make the roasted shallot vinaigrette, following the recipe linked above in the ingredient list.
- Add the remaining salad ingredients (kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, basil) to a medium-sized bowl and toss with the roasted veggies and shallot dressing.
- Serve and ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
