Roasted Winter Vegetable Panzanella is a hearty, warm salad that’s bursting with flavor and surprisingly healthy. Best of all, use the winter and root vegetables that you happen to have on hand and that you prefer best.
You may already be familiar with tomato Panzanella Salad, as that is the more commonly found style of panzanella when fresh tomatoes are in season. But panzanella in Mediterranean cuisine refers to any type of bread salad, and this Roasted Winter Vegetable Panzanella is satisfying and perfect for cooler days.
The reason this is so healthy is all of the color in the veggies. Great anti-oxidants abound in those colors! and I use just a smidge of heart healthy olive oil.
I always grow a bunch of winter squash, so in this recipe I’m using cubed butternut and acorn squash, along with yams, potato, beet, brussels sprout and garlic. But you can use parsnip, turnip, red carrot, or pearl onions. And I think purple potato would look really pretty.
Using one or two vegetables with a sweeter flavor really makes this salad! Butternut, beet, and yam all fit the bill. I have also made this both with and without the kale.
For this panzanella, I like using fresh bread just lightly toasted, because the softer texture goes well with the roasted vegetables. You can use crunchy croutons if you prefer.
Ingredients for Winter Vegetable Panzanella
- 1 -2 small potatoes, diced into cubes
- 5-6 Brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 ½ cups butternut squash, diced into cubes
- 1 cup yam, sliced
- a slice or 2 of beet, peeled and cubed
- 2-3 cloves garlic (optional)
- 1-2 leaves kale, chopped roughly
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Sea salt
Garlic Croutons
- French Bread
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Sea Salt
Instructions for Roasted Winter Vegetable Panzanella
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cube the bread into bite-size pieces. Transfer bread to a bowl and drizzle with Olive Oil, garlic and salt. Using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the oil and seasoning. Transfer the croutons to a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes until they are lightly toasted. Flip the croutons and allow to broil for another 2 minutes until golden all around. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425 Degrees F.
- Transfer the prepped veggies onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Place in the 425 degree oven bake for about 30- 35 minutes, until soft.
- While the veggies roast, massage the kale with the olive oil and lemon juice. Transfer to a large bowl. Remove veggies from oven. Toss the roasted vegetables with the kale, croutons and serve while the roasted veggies are still warm.
