I was wanting something sweet, satisfying, a little earthy, and kinda pretty (if it was easy).

I had some beets that needed to be eaten, a sweet potato in the pantry, and more greens than I could handle. But it was a crisp day and I didn’t want anything cold, so instead of making a crunchy, chilly salad, I roasted everything up and made a super delicious, warm, fall roast salad bowl.

This bowl has got all of the pretty fall colors- orange from the sweet potato, bright reddish purple from the beets, a deep green from the kale, and a dark brown/black from the wild rice.

These are what Instagram dreams are made of.

Not only is this a gorgeous bowl, it has so many deliciously sweet yet earthy flavors. I’m notorious for having a sweet tooth, but when I incorporate healthy sweet veggies into my meals, I seem to satisfy that pesky craving, not feeling the urge to grab some dark chocolate. If you’ve ever wondered if you are overdoing it on sugar, try upping the amount of sweet veggies you have in your meals and you might find that your candy cravings soften.

Not only is this bountiful bowl pretty and sweet, it is also packed with nutrition.

It has fiber galore from all 4 of the main characters- kale, sweet potato, beets, and wild rice. The sweet potato shares a nice load of Vitamin A turned beta carotene, known to support vision, clear skin, and immunity. The beets are great for blood circulation and heart health. Wild rice serves up a plethora of B vitamins and kale, well, what doesn’t kale have? It has nearly all of the vitamins and minerals you could want, is high in antioxidants, detoxifying, a good ratio of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and is great for heart health. There is more, but we know kale is good for us. I sprinkled this bowl w/ some walnuts cause, why not add even more healthy components, and topped it with a basic honey mustard vinaigrette that I’m sure you could make with things you already have in your pantry. If I’m being honest, this dressing was optional because the flavors of the salad ingredients are pretty great on their own. If you do omit the dressing, be more liberal with the salt and pepper.

It is delish. Also, it is the perfect dish to meal prep so be sure to checkout my meal prep tip below. Enjoy!

Fall Veggies Roast Salad Bowl Recipe

Makes about 2 servings

Takes about 45 minutes to make.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 small sweet potato, washed and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2-3 beets, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch chunks*
• 1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed through mesh strainer
• 1 cup water
• 2 handfuls of kale, washed, stems removed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup raw walnuts, toasted
• Sprinkle of goat cheese, optional

Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons raw honey or pure maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Layout the sweet potatoes and beets on one large baking sheet or two small sheets. Drizzle with two tablespoons of avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender, flipping halfway through.
3. In a medium pot, bring the cup of water to a boil. Add the wild rice and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, add a lid to the pot and turn the heat to a low to simmer. Cook according to the package, or approximately 25 minutes. The water should be absorbed and the rice should be tender but not soggy.
4. On a separate baking sheet, add the kale and drizzle it with 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and massage the kale so that the oil, salt, and pepper, are evenly spread on the greens. Spread the greens out so there is just one layer and they mostly have their own space on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, remove, and let cool.
5. Make the dressing: place all the dressing ingredients in a jar. Cover with a lid and shake until all ingredients are incorporated. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.
6. Now we plate, I mean bowl… Divide into bowls, adding the wild rice, topped with sweet potato, beets, crunchy kale, walnuts, and goat cheese. Drizzle with dressing and s&p to taste. Then, eat!

*I would make sure to cut the beet chunks about half the size of the sweet potato chunks so that they finish cooking at a relatively similar time.

Naturally vegetarian and gluten free.

Make it vegan by omitting the goat cheese and using maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.

Meal Prep Tip: Make the rice and bake the sweet potatoes and beets. Have the dressing made and keep in a sealed jar in the fridge. Prep the kale by having it washed, stemmed, and torn. When you are ready for your meal, follow step 4 for the kale. Warm everything else up in a pan on the stove and combine when the kale is ready. OR, if you want more of a traditional type salad, skip roasting the kale, chop it really fine, and toss it raw with all of the other ingredients!