If we’re being honest, carbs are our favorite. When I go back home to New York, I eat two bagels in one sitting — dessert bagels are totally a thing, right? Diana can and will make a sandwich out of anything you put in front of her. That said, we love salads and veggies! Because holiday potlucks always have one too many dips and desserts, I always opt to bring something fresh that’s easy to assemble on site. I’ve been told that whatever salad I bring to a dinner party is “actually” delicious enough to not be personally offended, but I feel like I need to make a case for salads.
The reason our salads are always better than yours is for two important reasons: we make really good salad dressing and we take texture into consideration. Sad, wilted, overdressed greens hurt my heart. Carb-obsession aside, vegetables are pretty delicious when treated nicely.
There are two roads to go down to address a fall-friendly salad. You can go with lots of raw stuff – think shaved Brussels sprouts or you can roast everything. Color is flavor, guys. Plus, I’m still pretending cutting a butternut squash isn’t the worst activity in the kitchen.
In this salad, we fold the prettiest mixed greens with roasted vegetables some dried fruit and a seed or nut for a crunch. What you choose to mix in is totally your call, but the rationale is to have some, not all, bitter greens like radicchio mixed with savory vegetables a pop of something sweet and some kind of crunch. The whole thing is tossed in a simple vinaigrette hooked up with some minced shallot. All of these items can live separately until the last moment when you toss it all together, snap an Instagram (#luckybankseats, duh), and feast. I kept stealing Brussels sprouts and carrots while Diana was shooting and she had to hit my hand away. I hope your dinner guests are more supportive of your snacking!
Happy Thanksgiving!
xo
ab + DZ
- 1 pound carrots – mixed colors are prettier, but anything works!
- 1 small butternut squash
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5 ounces mixed greens – we like a mix of soft greens like Bibb lettuce and bitter stuff like radicchio
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pepitas
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cut Brussels sprouts in half. Peel or scrub carrots. Cut in ½-inch by 4-inch sticks. Peel butternut squash and cut in 1-inch cubes. Generously coat in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes until tender and golden, tossing halfway through cooking. Set aside to cool.
- In a jar, add Dijon mustard, minced shallot, honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake aggressively to combine.
- In a large bowl, toss greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves – you can always add more! Top with roasted vegetables, dried cranberries and pepitas.
- You can make everything in advance and leave unassembled until you’re ready to eat. Try not to snack on the roasted vegetables. That’s the absolute hardest part of this recipe.
