What Is a Baked Salad? Plus Tips for How to Make Your Own

Salads with baked vegetables are all the rage—especially this super healthy one with cabbage and kale

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ideas—which is why the concept of the baked salad has become a go-to recipe. It’s healthy, vegetarian, and a warm and cozy one-dish dinner for the colder months.

“Baked salads are in, especially in the fall and winter,” according to Justine Doiron of Justine Snacks (the inventor of the butter board!) who kick-started the trend in October. “It’s like fall and winter vegetables are begging to be baked.”

What Is a Baked Salad?

In very simple terms, a baked salad is a salad where everything is baked. It’s a buzzy name for roasted vegetable salad and is perfect for colder months. In this case, the leafy vegetables are roasted cabbage and cooked kale. The toasted quinoa on toast takes the place of croutons. Finally, a warm sweet-and-sour agrodolce dressing pulls it all together.

How to Make a Baked Salad

Jason Wilson for Taste of Home

For this recipe, you’ll need to two sheet pans and one saucepan. You can definitely cook the quinoa ahead of time (or use leftover quinoa from the night before) so that all you have to do is toast it during salad preparation.

With kale, I prefer to remove the hard stems and use the leaves, but some like to add the stems. When making the agrodolce, I prefer to soak the raw red onions in 2 tablespoons of vinegar and let them sit for 20 minutes or so before adding the honey-water-vinegar mixture. Justine calls for avocado oil for roasting the cabbage and kale, but olive oil is just fine if that’s what you have on hand. I made my own chili oil by combining two tablespoons of crushed Calabrian chilies with a half-cup of olive oil.

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 small red onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, plus one tablespoon for raw onions
Olive or avocado oil
Salt & pepper
12 stalks lacinato kale
1 small head of green cabbage
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 sage sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons water

Directions

Step 1: Cook the quinoa and prep the red onions

Prepare quinoa per package instructions, or in a rice cooker with a 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a bowl, with a splash of vinegar to cover.

Step 2: Roast the cabbage and kale

Heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the core from the cabbage and the stems from the kale, and thinly slice both.

Spread the kale out evenly on one baking sheet and the cabbage on another. Drizzle both the kale and cabbage with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast the cabbage at 450°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden and slightly crisp. For the last 5-7 minutes of baking, add in the kale and roast until crisp. Remove both vegetables from the oven and combine into a bowl.

Step 3: Toast the quinoa

Turn the oven down to 375°F. Add the quinoa to a baking sheet and cover with chili oil. Season with salt to taste and toss. Roast this for 20 minutes, stirring part way through until the quinoa is toasted, slightly golden and lightly crisp.

Step 4: Make the agrodolce dressing

While the quinoa is baking, whisk together the honey and water. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan or small pot on medium heat, then add in the sage leaves and the rosemary sprigs. Pour in the honey mixture, and stir until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt, stirring. Let the mixture simmer slightly for 1-2 minutes. Remove the herbs and pour over the red onion-vinegar mixture. Stir to combine.

Step 5: Toss the salad

Pour the agrodolce into the bowl with the kale and cabbage, and toss well. Sprinkle the quinoa over the top of the salad and serve warm.

Bright Winter Salad Recipes You’ll Love

Balsamic Steak Salad

My husband loves blue cheese and I like a hearty salad that eats like a meal, so I put the two things together to make this steak salad recipe. The sweet-tartness of dried cranberries pairs deliciously with the cheese, creamy avocado and balsamic vinegar. It’s irresistible! —Marla Clark, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Go to Recipe

Guacamole Tossed Salad

The fresh blend of avocados, tomatoes, red onion and greens in my salad gets additional pizazz from crumbled bacon and a slightly spicy vinaigrette. —Lori Fischer, Chino Hills, California

Holiday Cranberry-Walnut Salad

A warm salad is a nice change of pace at holiday dinners. Port wine infuses cranberries with flavor, while balsamic vinegar adds a bit of tang to the dressing.—Becky Walch, Manteca, California

Potato Salad with Kalamata-Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Potato salad tossed with vinaigrette has a lighter taste than traditional mayo versions. I add velvety avocado and hazelnuts for cool texture and crunch. —Laurie Bock, Lynden, Washington

Beet Salad with Lemon Dressing

I was looking for a recipe for pickled beets and saw one with lemon instead of vinegar. I immediately thought of making a tabbouleh-inspired salad with beets instead of tomatoes. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts

Pomegranate Persimmon Salad

To bring some sunshine to the table, I toss up a bright salad of persimmons and pomegranate seeds, dressed with a puckery vinaigrette. —Linda Tambunan, Dublin, California

Parsnip, Pear and Pecan Salad

I didn’t try parsnips until I was well into my 40s, but now I can’t get enough of them. This salad is so delicious, I defy your kids to turn their noses up at it. —Jodi Taffel, Altadena, California

Chocolate Pear and Cherry Salad

It’s fun to come up with new ways to use the ingredients we love. I developed a chocolate vinaigrette, knowing how well it would play with stone fruit, the peppery bite of arugula and the deep acidic sweetness of balsamic. There are tons of other options that can go with this vinaigrette, so feel free to play! —Ryan Christie, Pacheco, California

Bacon Avocado Salad

Everyone in my family loves this bacon and avocado salad—even the younger kids! I serve it at pretty much every get-together I’ve hosted, and at this point, the recipe’s been shared too many times to count. —Noreen McCormick Danek, Cromwell, Connecticut

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For a lovely side dish that goes well with almost any entree, try this delightful sweet potato salad. The sweet potatoes, fruit and nuts tossed in a citrusy dressing are a favorite in my home.—Marie Rizzio, Interlochen, Michigan

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We use this super-duper chicken across several meals, including it in tacos, sandwiches, omelets and enchiladas. My little guys love helping to measure the seasonings. —Karie Houghton, Lynnwood, Washington

Holiday Lettuce Salad

Light with a hint of sweetness, this lettuce salad recipe will make everyone excited to eat their fruits and vegetables. —Bryan Braack, Eldridge, Iowa

Salmon & Spinach Salad with Avocado

We eat a power salad packed with salmon and spinach at least once a week. It’s a cinch to make, even after a hard day’s work. —Jenny Dawson, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Warm Cabbage, Fennel and Pear Salad

This crunchy salad makes an elegant first course or side, but it’s hearty enough to be an entree when paired with a crusty artisan bread. We love it served warm. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut

White Bean Arugula Salad

My red, white and green salad is inspired by the Italian flag. Top it with shaved Parmesan. —Malia Estes, Allston, Massachusetts

Apple-Feta Tossed Salad

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me after I raved about the delightful salad at dinner. I have served it for years now, and no matter where i take it, I have to bring along copies of the recipe to hand out.
-Marlene Clark
Apple Valley, California

Merry Berry Salad

Dried cranberries, crunchy apple chunks and toasted almonds dress up this crisp green salad. It’s drizzled with a sweet-tart dressing that’s a snap to blend. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Winter Beet Salad

To save a little time on this sweet and savory beet salad, we recommend using packaged salad greens in this original recipe. The simple dressing is easy to assemble. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato & Chickpea Salad

Take this colorful dish to the buffet at a family gathering, or enjoy it as a great meal all by itself. —Brenda Gleason, Hartland, Wisconsin

Cranberry-Pecan Wheat Berry Salad

I love to experiment with different grains and wanted to give wheat berries a try. My whole family goes nuts for this salad, especially my mom. —Kristen Heigl, Staten Island, New York

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey-Maple Vinaigrette

This salad makes a beautiful presentation for the holidays with the bright colors of the sweet potatoes, cranberries and spinach. —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Mexican Roasted Potato Salad

My husband is the No. 1 fan of this south-of-the-border potato salad. The leftovers make an awesome late-night snack, straight from the fridge. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Southwest Shredded Pork Salad

This knockout shredded pork makes a healthy, delicious and hearty salad with black beans, corn, cotija cheese and plenty of fresh greens. —Mary Shivers, Ada, Oklahoma

Orange Pomegranate Salad with Honey

I discovered this fragrant salad in a cooking class. If you can, try to find orange flower water (also called orange blossom water), which perks up the orange segments. But orange juice adds a nice zip, too! —Carol Richardson Marty, Lynwood, Washington