Roasted salads: A flavorful boost for health and metabolism

Roasted salads are an excellent way to combine health with delicious taste. By using various spices and popular vegetables, you'll not only enrich the flavor of dishes but also enhance their health properties.

Roasted salad is a great way to diversify your daily menu. Roasting vegetables brings out deeper flavors and makes them more aromatic and tender while preserving their valuable nutrients. Unlike traditional cold salads, the roasted version is perfect for cooler days, providing a warm meal to warm your body.

You can use virtually any combination of vegetables for roasted salads—from sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, to zucchini, peppers, even broccoli or cauliflower. Roasting the vegetables intensifies their flavor and makes them easier to digest and absorb by the body.

It's worth adding various spices to such salads, which will not only highlight the flavor but also support health. Pay particular attention to red pepper, which enriches dishes and positively impacts health. It contains capsaicin, a substance responsible for the characteristic heat that can boost metabolism, accelerate calorie burning, and support weight loss. Additionally, regular red pepper consumption can help maintain stable blood sugar levels.

Also excellent are turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, or garlic, which can positively impact metabolism, help regulate blood sugar levels, and have anti-inflammatory effects while supporting immunity.

Roasted salad is also an excellent opportunity to enrich it with healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, or seeds. These additions will provide the body with essential fatty acids, which support brain function, improve skin condition, and help maintain adequate energy levels throughout the day.

This roasted salad is a real feast of flavors, full of aromatic ingredients that blend into a harmonious whole. It works perfectly as a light snack, a side dish for dinner, or a standalone meal.

Ingredients:

                          
• 2 red peppers,
• 5 oz pickled artichokes,
• 1 red onion,
• 3.5 oz kalamata olives,
• 1.75 oz green olives,
• ½ teaspoon red peppercorns (to grind in a grinder or crush in a mortar),
• Fresh thyme for serving.

Dressing:

                      
• 2 oz olive oil,
• 1 tablespoon honey,
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard,
• A pinch of dried thyme,
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice,
• 1 teaspoon water.

Preparation:

                  
1. Roasting the pepper: Preheat the oven to 355°F. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, skin side up. Roast for about 30 minutes until the skin becomes slightly charred and soft. Then peel off the skin (it should come off easily) and cut the peppers into strips.
2. Preparing the dressing: In a bowl, mix olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, lemon juice, and water. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you like, you can add a bit more honey or mustard, depending on your preference.
3. Salad: Peel the onion and slice thinly. Cut the kalamata and green olives into smaller pieces. Drain the artichokes from the marinade and cut them into smaller pieces. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients—roasted peppers, onion, artichokes, and olives.
4. Final combination: Grind the red peppercorns in a grinder or crush them in a mortar. Add them to the bowl with the salad, then pour everything over with the prepared dressing. Mix gently so all ingredients blend well.
5. Serving: Finally, sprinkle the salad with fresh thyme leaves and serve. The salad tastes great both warm and cold.

This delicious dish is full of healthy fats from the olives and olive oil, as well as vitamins from the peppers and onions. Combining roasted vegetables with distinctive pickled artichokes and olives makes every bite full of flavor. Perfect for any occasion.