With its jewel-toned beets, caramelized carrots, shiny kale, and creamy goat cheese, this roasted root vegetable salad with maple pecan dressing is the whole lot I need in a fall dish. It is stunning sufficient to earn a double take when it hits the desk, and it tastes simply as vibrant because it seems. It is simple sufficient to make on a weeknight for a lightweight dinner, nevertheless it additionally feels proper at dwelling tucked between mashed potatoes and stuffing on a Thanksgiving unfold, the place its tangy, nutty chunk cuts by all that buttery richness.

Roasting the greens is step one in constructing this salad’s taste. Beets and carrots each caramelize superbly in a scorching oven, however their completely different densities imply they prepare dinner at barely completely different charges. I needed them to roast collectively on the identical sheet pan with none mid-bake shuffling, so I minimize the carrots into half-inch slices and the beets a bit thinner—a couple of quarter inch. That slight adjustment lets them end cooking on the identical fee, turning into tender by the middle, and calmly browned on the edges. I like utilizing each pink and golden beets for a colourful distinction (toss and season them individually earlier than arranging them onto the sheet pan if you wish to preserve the colours distinct). The result’s a mixture of greens which are candy, earthy, and balanced—the right match for the sturdy kale and tangy dressing.

For the greens, I choose lacinato kale—additionally referred to as Tuscan or dinosaur kale—over the curly variety. Its darkish, flat leaves are rather less fibrous and soften extra simply whenever you therapeutic massage them with the dressing. Curly kale will work if that is what you’ve got obtained, however you will have to work it for an additional minute or two to get it equally tender. Both approach, that fast therapeutic massage step is not elective—it breaks down the kale’s toughness and makes it extra nice to eat, turning it from uncooked roughage into one thing supple and seasoned.

The dressing is perhaps my favourite a part of this salad. As a substitute of simply sprinkling toasted pecans on prime, I mix them proper into the dressing, pulsing them with cider vinegar, maple syrup, and whole-grain mustard till the nuts are simply chopped and the dressing is creamy. This creates a thick and barely chunky texture, so the dressing clings to the kale with out sliding off. The flavour seamlessly combines nutty, tangy, and candy notes. 

As soon as the whole lot is tossed collectively, the salad strikes a steadiness that is each hearty and shiny. The roasted greens add sweetness and heft, the kale brings chew and construction, and the pecan-maple French dressing ties all of it collectively. A last crumble of goat cheese provides creamy, tangy bursts, whereas a couple of extra tablespoons of chopped pecans convey crunch. It is good for gatherings and potlucks, or as a Thanksgiving facet that brings colour, freshness, and a bit acidity to the desk when the whole lot else is brown and wealthy.