Roasted Spring Roots & Greens With Creamy Tahini Sauce

Jewel toned roast veggies combined with peppery crisp greens and paired with the most amazing tahini dressing. We loved the combination so much I thought it needs to be shared with the world.

Ingredient Rundown

• Beet: I love beets when roasted for their boldness, intense flavor and sweetness without being over the top. I love them for their unapologetic way of bleeding into everything and making everything pink, I’m talking about the red beets, which may not be everyone’s esthetics in a salad but I love it.
• Radishes: roasting radishes was relatively new to me, but once I had them I’m obsessed and there is no going back. If you find raw radishes pungent roasting is an excellent way to eat them.
• Carrots: Roasted carrots are delicious, intense and sweet. They’re so good with tahini dressing. Look for rainbow colored if possible.
• Shallots: I think raw, marinated or roasted alliums are so good in a salad, they bring a different kind of sweetness and flavor profile.
• Greens: Add them for color, nutrients and balance, arugula’s peppery flavor is delicious to balance the sweetness of the veggies.
• Tahini Sauce: this is our go to dressing for robust salad like this. Its rich, creamy flavor is mayo, dairy free and a nutritious alternative to creamy salad dressings.
• Add Ons: extras like olives, nuts and feta punctuate this salad with interesting texture and flavor. They’re optional but recommended.

Roasted Spring Roots With Creamy Tahini Sauce, 4-5

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons ice-cold water, more as needed

Roasting Root Vegetables

• 1 pound golden beets, peeled and trimmed
• 1 pound red beets, peeled and trimmed
• 1 pound rainbow colored carrots, scrubbed, sliced if chubby, lengthwise
• 1/2 pound radishes, halved if large or leave whole lengthwise
• 4 shallots, quartered 
• 4 oz mixeed baby leaves such as spinach, arugula and/or kale
• 1/3 cup green olives
• 1/3 feta cheese optional

instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or jam jar, combine the olive oil, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and several turns of black pepper. Shake or whisk until thoroughly until blended. Add the iced cold water to thin the dressing, the dressing should be creamy. Set aside while we cook the veggies.
3. This dressing will keep refrigerated in a tightly fitted container for about a week. It may thicken with time; in that case thin it with a little more cold water as needed and whisk again.
4. Slice or cut the golden, red beets, radishes if needed, shallots, carrots so that they’re all roughly the same size. Divide all of the vegetables between 2 half sheet pans depending on the cooking times. Drizzle with olive oil and toss well to coat. Spread the vegetables into an even layer. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes, this will depend on the thickness of the veggies. So check after 30 minutes for tenderness. 
5. Allow the vegetables to cool on the trays so they’re not hot when combined with the greens, about 10 minutes. 
6. Then combine the roasted vegetables, spring greens, sliced olives and feta cheese if using in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the tahini dressing as much as to lightly coat the veggies, toss to combine. Taste and season with cracked pepper and salt as needed.