Vegan Roasted Beet Salad
on Jul 22, 2020, Updated Sep 04, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links.
This vegan roasted beet kale salad features whole roasted carrots, marinated chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, corn and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.
About the Recipe
This beautiful fall salad is vegan, gluten-free and provides plenty of nutrition and flavour. It makes a stuffing addition to Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas or is perfect to enjoy anytime during the fall and winter months.
It’s easily customizable too by using different dressings and veggies or adding your favourite whole grain such as quinoa or farro.
You can also enjoy roasted beets in this Fall Harvest Salad and Wild Rice Bowl and use the same marinated chickpeas in this Roasted Squash Salad.
Ingredients
- Chickpeas: You can use plain chickpeas or follow the recipe for the delicious marinated chickpeas. You could also make the roasted chickpeas from this Vegan Farro Bowl.
- Beets: You’ll need 1 medium-sized whole beet per person or you can try the recipe with these roasted golden beets for a variation.
- Kale: Any variety of fresh kale works great, sub spinach, mixed greens, arugula or swiss chard if desired
- Corn: You can use fresh, canned or frozen corn, plain works or follow the recipe for the added touch of roasted corn
- Pepitas: Also known as raw pumpkin seeds. Swap for pecans, walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds.
- Carrots: Can be substitute with sweet potatoes, roasted parsnip, butternut squash, acorn squash or rutabaga.
- Balsamic Dressing: Try it with a maple tahini dressing or miso tahini dressing for a variation.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Place all the marinated chickpea ingredients in a container or bowl and mix them up. Place in the fridge, covered for at least a few hours up to overnight. The longer, the better!
Step 2. Roast the beets and carrots.
For the Beets: Give them a good scrub, rub with a couple drops of olive or avocado oil and wrap in foil. Roast in the oven on a baking tray for 40-60 minutes until tender. Let them cool until you can easily peel the skin off then cut off the ends and chop them up for the salad.
For the Carrots: Add a few drops of olive oil to the carrots, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on tray with the beets. Roast them until very tender and starting to brown and bubble.
Step 3. Shake or stir the ingredients together to combine. Make sure you give it another shake or stir before adding to the salad in case the oil has separated.
Step 4. Add a squeeze of lemon and a few drops of olive oil or a spoonful of the dressing to the kale and massage with your hands for 60 seconds to soften.
Step 6. Assemble the salads. Top the kale with the peeled and sliced roasted beets, corn, pepitas, whole or chopped roasted carrots and balsamic vinaigrette. You can add the carrots whole as they’ll be tender and easily sliced with a fork, or you can chop them up before adding to the salads, if you prefer.
Storing
- Fridge: Store for up to 3 days in a sealed container.
- Meal prep: Wash, chop and store the kale and make the carrots, beets, dressing and chickpeas in advance then prepare the salad as needed. You can mix up the veggies in advance but I’d suggest leaving the dressing off until ready to serve.
More Fall Salads
- Harvest Bowl Recipe
- Roasted Squash Farro Salad
- Vegan Roasted Vegetable Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Orzo
- Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vegan Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
For the Marinated Chickpeas
- 19 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp olive oi
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- optional: 1/4 tsp chili flakes
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For the Salad
- 4 medium-sized beets
- 8 small to medium carrots
- 6 cups finely chopped fresh kale
- 1 cup fresh, frozen and thawed or canned corn
- 4-8 tbsp raw pepitas, 1-2 tbsp per salad
Instructions
- Start with the marinated chickpeas. They need to sit for a minimum of 1 hour but can be left up to overnight or even a few days. To make them, place all the ingredients in a bowl or container, mix well, cover and place in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Give the beets and carrots a quick wash and scrub (leave skins on) then rub each with a few drops of olive or avocado oil. Wrap each beet in foil and place on a parchment-paper lined baking tray. Place the carrots on the baking tray as well and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Roast the carrots until they're very tender and starting to bubble and brown, about 30-40 minutes, depending on size. Once roasted, either chop them up or serve whole on top of your salad. I like leaving them whole as they're so tender you can easily chop with a fork while eating your salad.
- Roast the beets for 40-60 minutes, depending on size, until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Once tender, remove from the oven, open the foil and let them cool until you can handle them, about 15-20 minutes. Once they've cooled down, you can peel the skin off, cut off the ends and chop them for the salad.
- While the carrots and beets are roasting, make the balsamic vinaigrette by whisking or shaking the ingredients together until combined. Be sure to mix it again before adding to your salad as the oil may separate.
- Remove the kale leaves from the thick stems and chop it into small pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of olive or avocado oil, or add a small amount of the balsamic dressing. Massage the kale with your hands hands for 1-2 minutes.
- Divide the kale between 4 bowls, plates or food storage containers. Divide the chopped beets, carrots, corn, marinated chickpeas and pepitas between the 4 portions. Top each salad with equal amounts of the balsamic vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published January 9, 2018. It was updated July 21, 2020 with new photos and text.
Wow! We use 5 star ratings on all recipes we save,…but my wife wanted to give this one a 5 star plus! We simplified the roasting by peeling and dicing the beets first, spritzed with a little olive oil, S & P, chili powder and cumin,…& after the first 20 mins added red bell pepper and zucchini to the roasting pan. We also added two cups of cooked quinoa, and an avacado. Didn’t need near all the dressing made,…but now were set to make it again soon! Only marinated the chickpeas for one hour while the rest was prepped and roasted and the peas came out delicious! THANKS!
I’m so happy you loved it! Thanks for adding your adjustments, I love seeing how you make it your own!
Really enjoyed this. Have made it twice now. The first time exactly as above. I didnt have time to do the chickpeas so just used them plain. I much prefer it the second time when I made the chickpeas the night before and left them in the fridge.
The second time I also threw some thyme on the carrots when the went in the oven because I love thyme and carrots. I also chopped up half a purple onion and roasted it as well.
Much prefer this kale salad to the similiar one that is made with a slightly different dressing and squash.
I’m making this recipe right now. Don’t have a fresh kale, just organic frozen do I’ll use what I have. I’ll steam the kale before adding to the salad. Just wanted to ask what is the temperature that you are roasting the beets and carrots in, please?
400 F for the beets and carrots. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I loved the vinegrette and how much flavor can come from a simple plate 🙂 Really looking to make this for thanksgiving too 🙂
Great idea! It would be perfect for Thanksgiving. So glad you enjoyed it.
I’m super excited to make this today. Finally have some time to myself & after tracking my food on the Daily Dozen app offered by nutritionfacts.org (no one but me benefits from saying this), I’ve realized that I’ve been lacking some important food servings. This salad alone will check off so many eatin’ healthy boxes! And I’ve been planning to meal prep this salad for a while, so it’s fantastic to finally have the time to make a big-batch salad that sounds so complexly flavorful & look so beautiful. If I don’t burn any roasted veg, I’m sure this’ll be a 5-star-rated recipe. Thank you!! ☮️❤️?
I hope you enjoy it! Let me know!
I saw this recipe and had to try it. I’m not big fan of chick peas but I am now. My gosh this salad is awesome. Thank you. I for sure will make this again.
Yay! I love this salad too, so many awesome flavours and textures going on. Glad you enjoyed it.
Great recipe! Made it exactly and was very happy with the results! Had plenty for leftovers!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this! Really yummy! Next time not as much vinegar in the salad dressing. It was a little too sour, but will definitely make again!
Glad you enjoyed it Amy! Thanks for the feedback on the vinegar.
I’m eating this right now, and it’s DELICIOUS!
Yes! I saw you were making it for food prep! So glad you like it.
This was amazing, I’ll be making it again and again! Thank you!!
Thank you, Aimee!! Loving all your comments. Made my day!
Deryn, you’ve done it again! Although I absolutely LOVE your Healthy Potato Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette, (and have been eating it regularly since fall) I was ready to find a new favourite salad – this just might be it!. SO good. The marinated chickpeas are incredible, and the whole thing put together is so beautiful and delicious. I am also reading “How Not to Die” and I really appreciate how your recipes explain the health benefits of the ingredients. Thanks for another great (and easy) recipe.
Thank you so much, Lynne..I means so much to me to hear from you and I’m so happy you liked the salad! Oh, and thanks for letting me know you like hearing about the health benefits because I’m never sure if people do or not!