This roasted beet and broccoli salad is drizzled with lemony green herb tahini dressing and sprinkled with pepitas, cranberries, and olives, giving it layer upon layer of flavour, colour, and texture!

Of the many things that I learned while studying holistic nutrition, a key takeaway was the Ayurvedic perspective on eating with the seasons. In the winter, when it is cold outside, we should eat foods that stoke our internal digestive fire (think foods that are warm and spicy), and favour cooked foods over raw foods. In Ayurvedic teaching, raw foods require a vast amount of heat to digest and assimilate, and heat is in short supply during the cold months of the year.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t still enjoy salads, however! It simply means that we can approach salad a little bit differently every season. In the winter, a grounding roasted vegetable salad with a garlicky, lemony, and bright green tahini dressing is just the ticket.

This particular warm salad consists of roasted beet medallions, roasted broccoli, green tahini dressing, roasted pepitas, cranberries, and olives (or feta if you eat it). I didn’t add the olives until after I took the photos- they were somewhat of an afterthought- but I highly recommend them. They add a salty punch that goes a long way in balancing the flavours in this salad.

ingredients you’ll need for this roasted beet + broccoli salad

This salad consists of a few different components, including roasted beets, roasted broccoli, green tahini dressing, and the toppings (pepitas and cranberries). It sounds like a lot, but the beets and broccoli will be roasting while you prepare the dressing, so it all comes together quite effortlessly.

For the roasted beets: Beets, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.
For the roasted broccoli: Broccoli, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.
For the green tahini dressing: Water, tahini, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, garlic, maple syrup, and cilantro or parsley.
For garnish: Roasted pepitas, dried cranberries, and olives or feta.

step by step instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Peel the beets and slice into ¼-inch medallions. Place in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat. Arrange the medallions in an even layer on the baking sheet with a little bit of space between each one. I found that they just fit on a large baking sheet- if some of yours don’t fit, roast the extras later. Roast the beets for 30-35 minutes, or until fork tender all the way through. Roasting time varies depending on the size of your beets and thickness of the slices.
Place the broccoli in the same bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread out on the second baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and slightly charred in some spots.
Make the green tahini dressing: Add the water, tahini, lemon, garlic, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and herbs to an upright blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a jar until ready to use.
Assemble the salad: Arrange the beet medallions on a platter. Top with the broccoli and drizzle with the green tahini dressing. Finally, sprinkle with the pepitas, cranberries, and olives. Alternatively, arrange all of the components on individual salad plates.

pro tip

If you would like to turn this salad into more of a meal, enjoy as a power bowl with cooked beans or legumes and brown rice, quinoa, millet, or buckwheat. Or put a poached or fried egg on it if you eat them. Add some sauerkraut to your bowl for a boost of probiotics and enzymes. (Sounds odd, but it is delicious!)

more beet recipes

When my dad tasted the beet medallions I’ve used in this salad for the first time, he declared that I should call them “beet tenderloin!” Perhaps an idea for a future recipe!? If you have never tried beets roasted in this format, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by their deep, earthy, slightly sweet, and juicy notes. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed beets so much!

I hope that you love this roasted beet and broccoli salad as much as my family and I do. If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made!

Finally, I have some sweet treats coming up in the next couple of days leading up to Valentine’s Day on Sunday, including chocolate caramel tarts, maple tahini truffles, and a beet latte or hot chocolate. Stay tuned. 🙂

Enjoy!