Posted in Recipes on 20.12.2017

Maple and Thyme Winter Veggie Salad

prep: 15 mins / cook: 20 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 35 mins / quantity: 2 servings Print recipe?

So have you noticed that all the new posts lately are heading in a specific direction? That’s right CHRISTMAS! As I write this we are well and truly on the countdown, with just a few days to go. All the new recipes this week are ideal for your meal on The Big Day. Ones that will hopefully be a break from the norm and even more hopefully make life a little easier for us all.

The hardest thing about Christmas, well personally anyway, is exercising restraint. Saying no to too many mince pies (ha, like there is such a thing!) Resisting the temptation to justify buying one extra of EVERYTHING because the shops are closed for an ENTIRE DAY!!

Did you know the average Brit consumes around 6000 calories on Christmas Day? SIX THOUSAND!! Holy jingle balls ?

There’s a natural inclination to over-indulge. Waaay over-indulge. This year I don’t want to. But I also don’t want to compromise on taste. And this Maple and Thyme Winter Veggie Salad really does tick all the boxes. Rich, meltingly soft roasted vegetables mixed with crisp leaves and some scattered baked bread and toasty seed crunch. All married perfectly together with a light mustardy dressing ? Ciabatta works fantastically well with this but any stale bread would be fine.

For SO long I had the mindset that if I wasn’t in a food coma by the end of Christmas Day then it wasn’t a day well spent. And then I’d spend the next few days regretting it while also trying to deal with the inevitable leftovers. Sound familiar? We’re very low key with Christmas these days. With family/friends few and far between it’s just the 3 of us so I don’t need to shop like it’s the apocalypse and end up eating everything just to save it going to waste ?

So if you’re looking for something that satisfies the savoury taste buds but will leave you feeling guilt free, consider adding this Maple and Thyme Winter Veggie Salad into the Christmas repertoire!

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Maple and Thyme Winter Veggie Salad

prep: 15 mins / cook: 20 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 35 mins / quantity: 2 servings

Ingredients

1/2 of a butternut squash
2 red onions
2 parsnips
Drizzle of olive oil
1 tblsp maple syrup
1 tsp garlic powder
5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
1 or 2 ciabatta rolls – but any stale bread will do
Handful of mixed seeds
Couple of large handfuls of mixed salad leaves

Dressing

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tblsp olive oil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200 Fan / 220 C / 425 F / Gas 7 and line a large baking tray with parchment or a silicon mat
Peel the butternut squash and remove any seeds. Dice into bite sized chunks and put into a largeish bowl
Peel the onions and cut into quarters and add to the bowl
Peel the parsnips and cut into wedges - cutting round the tough woody centre. Add to the bowl
Add a drizzle of olive oil, the maple syrup, garlic powder, thyme leaves, a few grinds of black pepper and a large pinch or two of sea salt
Toss or stir everything together, tip onto your tray and roast for 20 minutes
While the veg is roasting make the dressing - put everything into a small bowl and whisk together or put into a screw top jar and give a good shake!
Tear the bread into chunks then scatter onto the tray along with the mixed seeds then put back in the oven for a final 10 minutes
Put the mixed leaves into a large bowl, tip in the cooked veg and the dressing and give everything a good stir
Serve immediately