This hearty salad—and several others in Best Dressed—demonstrates our fondness for mixing roasted and fresh ingredients. Here, the roasted carrots contribute a concentrated earthy sweetness, Broccolini provides green, mineral notes, and the romaine delivers refreshing, watery crunch. The nutty, tangy, spicy dressing buoys and unifies the roasted and fresh components. If your Broccolini stems are thick, you may want to peel them. Honestly, though, we rarely bother.
Ingredients
1 lb [455 g] carrots, peeled and cut into even 2-in-by-1/2-in [5-cm-by-12-mm] sticks
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz [230 g] Broccolini, trimmed and cut into 2-in [5-cm] pieces
8 cups [255 g] loosely packed torn romaine leaves
4 medium green onions, trimmed, whites thinly sliced and greens sliced on the bias into 1-in [2.5-cm] lengths
1 recipe Tahini, Lemon, and Harissa Dressing
2 cups [200 g] shredded rotisserie chicken
Directions
Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, toss the carrots with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt and season with pepper. Spread the carrots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, cover tightly with foil, and roast for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the same bowl, toss the Broccolini with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt and season with pepper. Uncover the roasted carrots, toss, and arrange them over half the baking sheet. Add the Broccolini to the empty half of the sheet (do not cover) and roast until the carrots are browned and tender and the Broccolini is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
In the same bowl, combine the romaine, green onion green parts, and about half the dressing; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and spread on a serving platter to form a bed for the carrot mixture.
In the same bowl, toss the roasted carrots, Broccolini, chicken, and most of the green onion white parts with the remaining dressing to coat. Arrange the carrot mixture over the salad, sprinkle with the remaining green onion white parts and serve immediately.
From Best Dressed by Dawn Yanagihara and Adam Reid (Chronicle Books, 2016)
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