Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

Full of beautiful colour, Summer Roast Vegetable Salad is delicious as a meal by itself or for an outdoor barbecue. Make a big batch as it keeps for days!

It’s that time of the vear when I start cooking one of my favourite salads: Summer Roast Vegetable Salad. This is a big, tasty salad full of delicious Mediterranean vegetables, Halloumi cheese and seeds. Drizzled with a plenty of tangy homemade vinaigrette, it is packed with flavour and a real crowd pleaser.

Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

It may seem strange to think of firing up the oven when the weather is hot, but think of it this way; rather than standing over a hot stove or sweating over a grill pit, you simply throw all your dinner ingredients in the oven and close the door.

That means you can exit stage left somewhere cool (possibly with a cold wine or beer in hand), while the oven does all the work. Genius, right?

🥗 About this salad

I’ve been making this salad for years, as it is very popular in my homeland of New Zealand. It’s full of big, bold Mediterranean flavours. Roasted sweet potatoes, (that’s Kūmara where I come from) and other vegetables are tossed with tangy Cypriot Halloumi cheese and a honey vinegar dressing.

Served with plenty of peppery arugula or rocket, this salad can be a meal by itself or a delicious side to grilled meats.

As this is a sturdy salad, it keeps perfectly in the fridge for up to a week, so it is ideal for batching / meal prepping.

🍽️ Main Ingredients

  • Sweet Potato / Kūmara: These roast up beautifully sweet and tender, and along with potatoes make up the base of this salad. Both orange sweet potato and golden NZ Kūmara taste great.
  • Red onions, Red Peppers and Zucchini: This trio of Mediterranean vegetables add gorgeous colour and flavour.
  • Halloumi Cheese: The most famous export from the island of Cyprus, this cheese is ideal for frying or baking, and has a delicious, salty chew.
  • Pine nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds: For added crunch
  • Red wine vinegar, honey and wholegrain mustard: combine to make a sweet, sour and seriously tasty dressing.
Diced sweet potato, zucchini, red onion and red pepper on an oven tray

👨🏻‍🍳 Method

It is so easy to make a Roast Vegetable Salad! It’s really all about letting the oven cook the vegetables to golden perfection. The only secret is putting the vegetables in the oven in the right order.

  1. First, roast the potato, sweet potato and garlic.
  2. Next, add the softer onion, zucchini and pepper.
  3. Last, add the Halloumi cheese, nuts and seeds.
  4. After that, all you need to do is toss the warm vegetables with the honey vinaigrette and a little salad greens and serve!
Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

Variations

You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have and what is in season, just remember to put the ingredients in the oven in order from hard to soft.

By this, I mean that potatoes and onions take a lot longer to roast than softer vegetables like zucchini.

Don’t stress about it too much though, this is supposed to be relaxed cooking! You could add pumpkin, eggplant, or cherry tomatoes to the mix and they’ll all be super tasty.

If you can’t get hold of Halloumi, crumble over a good quality feta cheese after you take the salad out of the oven instead.

Summer Roast Vegetable Salad showing roasted halloumi mixed with the vegetables.

Prepare in advance

This is a great salad for bringing to a picnic or the beach as it won’t wilt or sag. If you are taking it outdoors, keep the rocket separate until serving, then toss it under with a little extra dressing or a squeeze of fresh lemon.

What to serve with Roast Vegetable Salad

While this salad is a meal all by itself, it would be great served alongside some Turkish Chicken Shish Kebabs, a Chicken and Chickpea Pilaf, with a delicious Greek Salad and fresh bread. It is perfect with grilled or barbecued meats too.


Frequently Asked Questions

I can’t get one or more of the vegetables on this list! Can I still make this salad?

Yes! Use whatever is in season. Just remember the golden rule, put the hardest vegetables in the oven first as they take the longest to cook.

How long can I keep Summer Roast Vegetable Salad?

It lasts up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge. It is usually all eaten up by then though!

What can I serve with A Roast Vegetable Salad?

This salad is great for serving with a BBQ, with couscous or pasta. Use it to stuff soft white rolls, or you can eat it just by itself!


Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

Remember to start with the hardest vegetables first, as they take longer to cook.

Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

Roast Vegetable Salad Recipe

Summer Roast Vegetable Salad - mixed roast vegetables with halloumi cheese and arugula

Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

Full of beautiful colour, Summer Roast Vegetable Salad is a hearty and delicious meal, sure to appeal to vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. Bring it to a summer BBQ or prep a big batch to take you through a whole week.
4.74 from 19 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves 4 (6 as a side)

Ingredients
 

for the salad:

  • 1-2 large sweet potatoes, ca. 500g / 1 lb.
  • 500 g new potatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 red onions
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 large zucchini
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 200 g halloumi cheese
  • 3 Tbsp pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or a mixture
  • sea salt and black pepper

for the dressing:

  • 4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp neutral oil, eg. sunflower
  • 4 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tsp runny honey
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • small bunch fresh oregano, leaves only, finely chopped

to serve:

  • 125 g rocket / arugula
  • small bunch basil
  • fresh white bread

Instructions
 

  • PREPARE: Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F / Gas 7. Peel the sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Roughly chop the potato and use the flat of a knife to squash the garlic cloves. Toss together in a bowl with the olive oil, then spread across a large baking tray. Season with salt and pepper, then roast for 20 minutes.
  • CHOP VEGETABLES: Meanwhile, halve the onions, then trim the root and tip end. Cut into wedges. Roughly chop the capsicum and zucchini, then toss together with the onion, oregano and chilli flakes in the bowl that had the potatoes in it. No need to add more oil, there will be enough in the bowl.
  • ROAST VEGETABLES: Slice the halloumi into 8 even pieces, then cut each piece in half again. After 20 minutes have passed, add the onion, capsicum and zucchini to the roasting tray and top with the halloumi. Scatter over the pine nuts or seeds and roast for a further 20-25 minutes, until the halloumi is lightly golden brown and the vegetables are tender.
  • MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: While the vegetables are roasting, combine all the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
  • PLATE AND SERVE: When the vegetables have finished cooking, remove from the oven, pour over half the dressing and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pile the rocket on a large serving platter, add the roasted vegetables and halloumi and toss gently to combine. Pour over the remaining dressing, garnish with fresh basil and season to taste. serve with fresh bread on the side.

Notes

Imperial measures are approximate.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1plate | Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Sodium: 905mg | Potassium: 1537mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 19688IU | Vitamin C: 93mg | Calcium: 644mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.
Course | Main Course
Cuisine | New Zealand
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Jay Wadams
Jay Wadams

Jay Wadams is a cookbook author, food photographer and Le Cordon Bleu Gastronomy and Nutrition graduate. Based in Italy 🇮🇹 Germany 🇩🇪 and Australia 🇦🇺.

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4.74 from 19 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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