Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad | iowagirleats.com

The Farmer’s Market just opened for the season (wooot!) and while there’s not a whole lot to choose from in terms of produce right now, especially after the insanely cold spring we’ve had, I wanted to challenge myself to create a recipe using what is available. This gorgeous Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad with Honey-Herb Vinaigrette is what I came up with!

Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad | iowagirleats.com

Fresh spring vegetables including beets, asparagus, and radishes are simply seasoned then roasted to really bring out their delicious flavors, then paired with classic cobb salad ingredients like crumbled bacon, hard boiled eggs, and cheese. Honey chevre to be exact, which nearly made my head explode it was so good.

If you’re like me and see these veggies at the Farmer’s Market every week in the spring and aren’t exactly sure what they heck you’re supposed to do with them, this salad is for you. It’s so delicious and hearty, and made me feel really good about actually being able to enjoy those sometimes hard to use foods. Give it a try!

Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad | iowagirleats.com

How to Make the Hard Boiled Eggs:

Start by making a couple hard-boiled eggs – a cobb salad staple. This salad recipe serves two so technically you’ll only need 2 hard-boiled eggs but I always make extra to keep around for breakfast and snacks.

Add the eggs to a pot then cover the tops by 1″ with cool water. Bring the water to a boil then place a lid on top, remove from the heat, and then let the eggs cook for exactly 12 minutes. Remove the eggs to a bowl filled with ice water then let them chill out (literally – ha!) until they’re cool enough to handle.

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-04_mini

Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, lightly smash each one down on a cutting board then roll it with a little bit of force to crack the egg all the way around. Then, peel!

Tip: always peel hard-boiled eggs when they’re freshly cooked. If you refrigerate with the shell on then try to remove it later it’s nearly impossible to peel.

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-05_mini

Meanwhile, get the bacon cooking. Line a baking sheet with foil then place a cooling rack on top and spray with nonstick spray. You’ll only need 3 slices of bacon for this recipe but when’s the last time you only made the amount of bacon a recipe calls for?!

Place the baking sheet into a COLD oven THEN set it to preheat to 400 degrees. The bacon will cook low and slow while the oven heats up resulting in crispy, perfectly cooked bacon.

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-06_mini

How to Roast the Spring Vegetables:

Time for those spring vegetables. Again, I used beautiful golden beets, asparagus, and radishes, but use whatever you have available in YOUR area. I can almost guarantee that whatever it is, it’ll roast fabulously.

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-07_mini

Start with the golden beet. You’ll need 1 large beet or 2 small ones, and you can absolutely use a red one if that’s all you can find. Just know that your fingers may be stained a little pink after handling them. Slice off the top and bottom then peel and cut into large pieces. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper (there’s no magical amount, just use what feels right,) then pop into the preheated oven on a baking sheet to roast for 15 minutes.

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-08_mini

Meanwhile, slice the tops and bottoms off 1 bunch radishes then cut each one in half or into quarters if they’re large. Toss with EVOO, salt, and pepper, and then add to the baking sheet with the beets and roast for 10 minutes. You will LOVE roasted radishes. I can’t believe I waited 30 years to try them!

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-09_mini

Finally, trim 1/4lb asparagus then chop into 2″ sections and, you guessed it, season with EVOO, salt and pepper. Add them to the sheet pan with the roasted beets and radishes then roast for 5 more minutes.

So, to recap, the beets will have roasted for 30 minutes total, the radishes for 15 minutes, and asparagus for 5. Got it? Good!

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-10_mini

While the veggies are roasting, make that Honey-Herb Vinaigrette which is very Farmer’s Market friendly as there’s always a ton of local honey and herbs at the market in the spring time. In a jar or bowl add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh herbs of your choice,) salt, and pepper then shake or whisk to combine.

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-11_mini

My original intent for this vinaigrette was to use fresh herbs but of course my fresh thyme went missing in the black hole that is my fridge when I went to find it. Good lesson though – when swapping dried herbs for fresh, use 1/3 of the amount. I would have used 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme in this recipe, but used 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme instead. Still delectable!

Roasted-Spring-Vegetable-Cobb-Salad-iowagirleats.com-12_mini

Line the roasted spring vegetables, sliced hard-boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, and 1oz honey goat cheese (seriously you must find and try honey chevre!) on a big bed of fresh spring greens. Drizzle the Honey-Herb Vinaigrette on top then dig in!

Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad | iowagirleats.com

Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad with Honey-Herb Vinaigrette

5/5 (1 REVIEW)

Description

Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad with Honey-Herb Vinaigrette is a filling, gluten-free entree salad that celebrates Spring produce.

Ingredients

serves 2

  • 2 eggs
  • 3 slices bacon
  • 2 small or 1 large red or golden beet, trimmed on both ends, peeled, and then chopped large
  • 1 bunch radishes, trimmed on both ends then halved or quartered if large
  • 1/4lb asparagus, trimmed then chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 2oz honey goat cheese, crumbled
  • 5oz arugula, baby kale, baby spinach, or romaine (or any spring lettuce you like!)
  • For the Honey-Herb Vinaigrette:
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • juice of 1/2 lemon
    • 1 Tablespoon honey
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme)
    • salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Place eggs in a saucepan then cover with cold water 1″ above the tops. Bring to a boil, place a lid on top, then remove pan from heat and let sit for 12 minutes. Drain then plunge eggs into ice water or run under cold water for a few minutes. Peel eggs when cool enough to handle then slice. (Can be done ahead of time. Cook then peel eggs and store in the refrigerator, and then slice before serving.)
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil then place a cooling rack on top and spray with nonstick spray. Line bacon on top of cooling rack then place inside a cold oven. Turn oven to preheat to 400 degrees. Bacon will cook as oven heats up. If bacon's not crispy enough after the oven is finished preheating, let it bake for a few more minutes. Crumble when cooled.
  3. Toss chopped beets with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper then roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove sheet pan then flip beets.
  4. Toss chopped radishes with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl then add to baking sheet with beets. Roast for 10 more minutes. Remove sheet pan then flip radishes.
  5. Toss chopped asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl then add to baking sheet with beets and radishes. Roast for 5 more minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for Honey-Herb Vinaigrette in a jar with a tight-fitting lid or bowl then shake or whisk to combine.
  7. Divide lettuce between two plates then make rows of roasted vegetables, sliced hard-boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette then serve.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad | iowagirleats.com

Enjoy this absolutely yummy, roasted taste of spring!

Roasted Spring Vegetable Cobb Salad | iowagirleats.com