Millet and roasted root vegetable salad with citrus dressing

Doesn’t this dish look like it’s flavored “spring”? With its greens and golds, I feel like it could be considered a St. Patrick’s Day styled salad. It’s kind of its own pot, or salad plate, of gold, too. Rich in iron, B-vitamins, and calcium, millet is a gorgeous naturally gluten-free, delicately nutty ancient grain that has been making a reprise in our house. Great for porridges, salads, and bars, it’s quick cooking and versatile.

After bitterly frigid temps last week, we’re enjoying a forecasted few days of warm sunshine that feels light on the spirit. Both the weather and the fresh look of this salad are especially in contrast to the heaviness, heartache, and aggressive turmoil in the world right now, with Russia’s invading of Ukraine. I gave myself an eye twitch that lasted from Wednesday to Sunday evening worrying over it.

With so much tumult and hurt in the world, it’s hard to keep the apocalyptic visions in check. I did a lot of doom scrolling over the weekend, and careened from anxiety to such feelings of insignificance that I didn’t even feel worthy of worry. It can be tempting to turn off and tune out in recognition of our own powerlessness. But ultimately, we can’t do that. For sure we have to let go of things we have no control over, but we aren’t actually powerless after all. We may not be activists or politicians, or positioned in such a way to be able to splash money over the the actual activists and politicians, but we do have power, and a deep responsibility to be informed enough to vote wisely where we can, whether with our actual ballots, or with our wallets, voices, and actions.

But back to this beautiful, graciously adaptable salad. I love preparing millet in the rice cooker—the yield is so light and fluffy that way. Still, the stovetop works brilliantly, too. The dressing is equally tweakable, and simple to prepare with a blitz in the blender. Rich in plant-based protein, you can easily make a main dish of it with chickpeas and/or baked tofu. Let me know what adaptations work for you! Wishing everyone love and space to connect with their own power and peace. xo

Millet and roasted root vegetable salad with citrus dressing
Approximately 4 main dish servings, 8-10 sides

For the salad:

1 cup millet, rinsed and drained
2 Cups water or vegetable broth
1/4 Teaspoon ground turmeric
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into1-inch chunks
1-2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1-2 golden beets, peeled and cut into roughly 1-inch chunks
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Cup toasted pecans
1/3 Cup
4 Cups spinach or other greens
sea salt and pepper to taste
olive oil or cooking spray

For the dressing:
1 orange, peeled and broken into segments
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 green onions, white and light green parts, sliced
1/4 Cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon agave, optional
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

1. Prepare the millet: place the millet, broth or water, and Turmeric in the bowl of a rice cooked and cook on the regular setting. Alternatively, cook on the stovetop by bringing a pan with millet and liquid to boil, reducing hear to medium-low, and letting simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. While the millet is cooking/cooling, prepare the root vegetable medley. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Arrange the chopped vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer. Coat lightly with a drizzle of olive oil or cooking spray, season with salt and pepper if desired, and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown. Give the tray a stir halfway.

3. Prepare the dressing: place all dressing ingredients in a blender and gradually increase the speed to high. Transfer to a container and set aside.

4. When ready to serve, toss cooked millet with dressing, root vegetables, sliced onions and greens. Serve topped with toasted pecans and cranberries.