End of summer roasted vegetable and quinoa salad

I’ve always loved watching one season turn into another. Growing up in Ottawa, I was spoiled to have been able to experience it all – hot dreamy summers, crisp golden autumns, the snowiest of winters and spring in full bloom. It’s something I took for granted for a long time. It wasn’t until I lived in England that I realised how special our seasons are back home. In Switzerland, I feel a little bit closer to home in that respect, despite having actually moved farther away from Canada. The temperatures are starting to get cooler around here, and I’m already dreaming about the beautiful autumn colours to come.

So with that in mind, I’m offering you one last warm(ish)-weather recipe to mark the turn of the season. This roasted vegetable and quinoa salad is one I’ve been making on repeat for the last month or so, often topped with pan-fried tofu, grilled halloumi or hard-cooked eggs. It’s easy to make and is adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand. This version features lots of end of summer veggies, but I imagine a winter version with root vegetables would be lovely too. It’s the kind of hands-off dish I love to have in my repertoire: chop up heaps of veggies, let them roast for just under an hour, cook up some whole grains and you’re good to go. I love capers, black olives, lemon and parsley in my quinoa, but feel free to play around with your favourite spices, herbs and add-ins.

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do. If you make the recipe, let me know how it went in the comments or share a picture with me over on facebook or instagram!

-xo KA

End of summer roasted vegetable and quinoa salad {vegan & gluten free}

This is an easy and relatively hands-off salad to make. First you roast up a bunch of veggies and meanwhile cook some quinoa. You can follow the recipe as below, or simply use whatever vegetables you have on hand and your favourite herbs and spices.

Ingredients for the roasted vegetables:

• 1 large eggplant, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 bell peppers, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 large handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved

• 3-4 small onions, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 5-6 cloves garlic, peeled

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the quinoa:

• 1 cup | 180 g uncooked quinoa

• 1.5 cups | 375 mL water

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 2 tbsp capers

• 2 tbsp black olives, chopped

• 1 large handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lemon, juice

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C | 375 degrees F. Place all chopped veggies in a large baking dish or onto a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for around 45 minutes, until all veggies are well roasted, giving everything a good mix a couple times during cooking.

Meanwhile, bring the quinoa, water and fine salt to the boil. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let steam for another 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and transfer to a large salad bowl. Add the capers, black olives, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice and mix to combine. Season with as much salt and pepper as desired.

To serve, divide the quinoa onto plates or bowls and top with the roasted vegetables.

Serves 4-6.