Vegan Beet, Squash, and White Bean Salad
Bright and flavorful, Vegan Beet, Squash, and White Bean Salad looks like autumn on a platter. This salad happens to be vegan, but no one needs to know that. It is delicious as a meatless entree or veggie-centric side dish.
Beans give this dish some heft.
The Magical Fruit
Beans are chock full of plant-based protein, B vitamins, and nutrients like folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Plus, they are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber. They are a very nutrient-dense food and a staple in most cultures around the world.
As a kid, I remember the playground song, “Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you…” Well, you probably remember the ending to that little ditty. But what causes the flatulence that some people get after eating them?
Ogliosaccharides.
Many beans contain ogliosaccharides, a type of sugar molecule, that can be hard to digest. When digestion does occur, methane is produced and that’s where the playground song chimes in. The good news is you can lower the fartiness factor of canned beans by simply rinsing and draining them before adding them to a recipe.
In this recipe, the beans are a counterpoint to the roasted veggies. Plus, a balsamic dressing zhushes everything up!
Lessons Learned
- Spread out the work by baking the veggies and preparing the dressing a day or two ahead of time. Then on the day of, all you have to do is assemble the salad and drizzle on the dressing.
- Don’t like acorn squash? It is easy to swap it out and replace it with pumpkin, Delicata, or another squash variety.
- Make this part of a vegan buffet! Other vegan dishes to include: Vegan Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Couscous, Vegan Thanksgiving Acorn Squash, and Mushroom Wellington.
Hat Tips
Many thanks to Heather Christo for the arugula and roasted autumn vegetable salad recipe inspiration.
Vegan Beet, Squash, and White Bean Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 acorn squash
- 4 or 5 small beets
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 5 cups arugula
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
Dressing:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Garnish:
- ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/204C. Move racks to the two central slots of the oven. Lightly grease two rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
- Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Slice each half into ¼-inch thick half-moon slices and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Trim the beets (peel them if you want) and cut them into quarters. Place the beets on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place both sheets in the oven. Roast the acorn squash for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. The pieces should be fork-tender. Roast the beets for another 20 minutes (40 minutes total) until they are fork-tender. Allow the roasted veggies to cool to room temp.
- Arrange the arugula on a serving platter. Top with the roasted squash, beets, and white beans. Make it pretty. Or not.
- Make the dressing by adding the vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to a jar. Screw on the lid and shake until the dressing is emulsified, then pour over the salad. Garnish with chopped hazelnuts.
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