Warm White Bean and Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad

Many times I walk through the produce department and choose random vegetables that happen to look good and are local.  This includes selections at times which I have never tasted before, or have no idea how to prepare.  So last weekend I picked up some jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, that were locally grown and looked nice and fresh.  I didn't know how to cook them, but that didn't stop me from buying them!  I looked them up online when I got home, and saw many different ways to prepare them, and I decided to simply roast them, and include them in a main dish salad I was making.   I also included roasted carrots, fingerling potatoes, and shallots, as well as white beans, walnuts, and arugula.  I threw in some crasins for color and dressed the salad in a cherry balsamic vinaigrette.  Of course I tasted the sunchokes before they joined the other veggies, and they tasted like artichokes I am used to eating...I decided that in the future I am going to have to make a dish featuring them since this time I had only bought a small amount and they were so good!  The salad as a whole was amazing...a whole meal in and of itself alongside some crusty bread.  The roasted vegetables made the salad, with the wonderful caramelized flavors the oven had given them.  Try out this salad if you would like a hearty but light meal...if you can't find sunchokes, substitute another winter root vegetable. 

Warm White Bean and Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad

Serves 3

4 medium sunchokes, thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
6 fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced
2 shallots, cut into wedges
olive oil

1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 cups arugula

Dressing:
2 Tbsp cherry balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dijon

1 tsp dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, line 2 baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss artichokes, carrots, potatoes and shallots with just enough oil to coat and spread out on sheets.  Roast for about 20-25 minutes until softened and starting to brown at edges.  Remove from oven, and place in a large bowl, along with navy beans, walnuts, cranberries, and arugula.  In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, then pour over salad and toss to coat.  Serve while still warm.