# Big Late-Summer Salad Prep with Roasted Vegetables, Beets, and Sweet Potatoes > A big, vegetable-forward salad built around sweet roasted tomatoes, silky eggplant, crisp-edged brassicas, and cool cucumber and daikon. Pink beets and creamy sweet potatoes make it substantial, while a sharp lemon dressing brings the whole late-summer spread together. Keep the components separate and assemble generous bowls throughout the week. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/big-salad-prep-late-summer-roasted-pickled-veg-board - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2022-08-27 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 generous servings - Tags: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, nut-free ![Big Late-Summer Salad Prep with Roasted Vegetables, Beets, and Sweet Potatoes](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2Fec82ea7b3ff407d2.jpg) ## Cucumber and Daikon Uncooked cucumber and radish provide a cool, crunchy counterpoint to the soft roasted vegetables. ### Ingredients - 3 Persian cucumbers, about 8 ounces - 4 ounces daikon, peeled ### Instructions 1. Slice the cucumbers into thick rounds and half-moons. 2. Cut the daikon into thin, bite-size wedges. 3. Refrigerate separately in dry containers. Dress and salt only the portions being served. ## Roasted Rainbow Carrots and Celery Roasting concentrates the carrots' sweetness and mellows the celery while preserving some bite. ### Ingredients - 3 small rainbow carrots, about 6 ounces - 2 stalks celery - 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the carrots into 1/2-inch diagonal slices and the celery into 1-inch pieces. 2. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan, keeping the carrots and celery in separate areas. 3. Roast for 20–30 minutes, turning once. Remove the celery when tender with browned edges; let the carrots continue until easily pierced but not mushy. 4. Spread out to cool before storing. ## Slow-Roasted Tomatoes Roasted tomatoes contribute concentrated sweetness, acidity, and a little natural juice to the assembled salad. ### Ingredients - 8 ounces ripe plum tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes - 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Halve cherry tomatoes or cut plum tomatoes into thick wedges. 2. Toss with olive oil and salt, then arrange cut-side up in a small baking dish. 3. Roast for 30–40 minutes, until slumped and wrinkled with lightly browned edges but still juicy. 4. Cool in the dish and reserve the juices with the tomatoes. ### Notes - For a one-temperature cooking session, roast at 425°F and begin checking after 20 minutes. ## Roasted Okra Drying the okra well and roasting it uncrowded keeps the exterior firm and limits its slippery texture. ### Ingredients - 6 ounces fresh okra - 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Wash the okra and dry it thoroughly. 2. Trim the tough stem tips without removing the entire cap, then cut the pods into 1-inch lengths. 3. Toss with olive oil and salt and spread in a single layer with space between pieces. 4. Roast for 15–20 minutes, turning once, until tender with lightly browned ridges. Cool uncovered. ## Roasted Eggplant Large pieces develop browned edges while keeping the centers soft and creamy. ### Ingredients - 8 ounces Japanese or small globe eggplant - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the eggplant into roughly 1-inch chunks. 2. Toss thoroughly with olive oil and salt. Arrange on a sheet pan with a cut surface against the pan. 3. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until browned and completely tender in the center; a fork should meet no spongy resistance. 4. Cool in a single layer so the pieces retain their shape. ## Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower A hot oven gives the florets browned tips without cooking away all their texture. ### Ingredients - 8 ounces broccoli - 8 ounces cauliflower - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-size florets with a flat side where possible. Peel and slice any tender broccoli stems. 2. Dry thoroughly, toss with olive oil and salt, and arrange in separate areas of a sheet pan without crowding. 3. Roast until browned at the tips and just tender, checking broccoli after 18 minutes and cauliflower after 22 minutes. Turn once and remove each vegetable as it finishes. 4. Cool uncovered before refrigerating. ## Tender Pink Beets Gentle cooking preserves the beets' clean sweetness and gives them a tender texture that contrasts with the raw vegetables. ### Ingredients - 2 small Chioggia beets, about 8 ounces total - as needed water for steaming ### Instructions 1. Scrub the beets and trim the greens, leaving about 1 inch of stem. Leave the skins and root ends intact. 2. Place in a steamer basket over simmering water, cover, and steam for 35–55 minutes, replenishing the water as needed. 3. Check with a thin knife; it should slide easily into the center. 4. Let cool enough to handle, rub off the skins, and cut into thin half-moons or wedges. Chill separately. ### Notes - Chioggia stripes often soften into an overall pink color during cooking. ## Steamed Japanese Sweet Potatoes Pale-fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes add a creamy, gently sweet anchor without needing a grain base. ### Ingredients - 12 ounces Japanese sweet potatoes, scrubbed - as needed water for steaming ### Instructions 1. Cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds, leaving the skins on. 2. Place in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam for 25–35 minutes, until a skewer passes through the centers easily but the rounds still hold together. 3. Spread on a plate to cool, then halve any large rounds. ## Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette A clean, acidic dressing lifts the sweet roots and rich eggplant without masking the individual vegetables. ### Ingredients - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil - 1 small clove garlic, finely grated - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Combine the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a jar. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the garlic's bite. 2. Add the olive oil, seal, and shake vigorously. 3. Taste with a piece of cooked vegetable. Add a little more salt or lemon juice as needed. ### Notes - The dressing will separate; shake again before serving. If sharply acidic, whisk in another teaspoon or two of olive oil. ## Overall Timing / Workflow Steaming the roots while roasting in batches makes a large prep session manageable and prevents crowded pans from steaming the vegetables. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F and start steaming the whole beets. Wash and thoroughly dry the roasting vegetables. 2. 0:10 — Prepare the carrots, celery, eggplant, broccoli, and cauliflower. Roast on two uncrowded sheet pans, rotating the pans between racks halfway through. 3. 0:30 — Remove vegetables as they finish and spread them out to cool. Put the tomatoes and okra into the oven on separate pans; check the tomatoes early at this higher temperature. 4. 0:40 — When the beets finish, use the steamer for the sweet potato rounds, adding fresh water as needed. 5. While the vegetables cook, slice the cucumber and daikon and shake together the vinaigrette. 6. 0:75–0:90 — Peel and slice the beets, finish cooling the vegetables, and pack in shallow containers. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. ### Notes - If your pans are small, add another roasting batch rather than crowding the vegetables. ## Plating Keeping the vegetables in loose groups preserves their colors and lets each bite combine different textures. ### Instructions 1. Divide the sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, and beets among four broad bowls or plates. 2. Add the cucumber and daikon just before serving. 3. Shake the vinaigrette and drizzle about 1 1/2 tablespoons over each portion to start, adding more to taste. 4. Serve cool or at room temperature, with some vegetables still grouped rather than mixing everything into a uniform salad. ## Leftover Path Separate storage keeps the raw vegetables crunchy and prevents the beet color and tomato juices from spreading through the entire batch. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate the cooked vegetables in airtight containers for up to 4 days, keeping the beets and juicy tomatoes separate. Store the cucumber and daikon dry and use within 2–3 days. 2. Refrigerate the vinaigrette separately and use within 4 days. Let it stand briefly at room temperature and shake before serving. 3. Assemble and dress only the portion you plan to eat. 4. For a warm variation, reheat the sweet potatoes and roasted vegetables at 400°F for 8–10 minutes, then add the cold cucumber, daikon, beets, and dressing. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.