Slow Roasted Vegetable Salad with Blue Cheese and Thyme Balsamic Vinaigrette

Slow Roasted Vegetable Salad with Blue Cheese and Thyme Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipe by Dragon

I love warm and cold salads and this one is especially lovely. Roasting the vegetables brings out their sweetness and they are perfect with the bitter greens and sharp blue cheese. The thyme balsamic vinaigrette brings it all together into a beautiful winter salad. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
6 red peppers
2 red onions, sliced into 6 pieces
6 garlic cloves
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
8 cups salad greens
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Thyme Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

1. Set your oven to broil.

2. On a baking sheet, place the peppers and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Make sure each pepper is well coated in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Char the peppers in the oven, turning them until the skin is completely charred. Place peppers in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steam will loosen the skins. When the peppers are cool, scrape the skins off with a knife and set aside. Cut eat pepper into 6 to 8 pieces, depending on the size of the peppers.

3. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a roasting pan, combine red peppers, onions. garlic and thyme sprigs. Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Roast the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 45-60 minutes or until the onions are caramelized and softened. Let the vegetables cool for 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.

5. In a large bowl, add salad greens and season with salt and pepper. Add some of the vinaigrette (as much as you like) and toss to coat lightly. Don't over dress.

6. To serve, divide the dressed salad greens among the plates. Spoon some of the roasted vegetables on top of the salad greens and drizzle some more vinaigrette over the vegetables. Top with blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Thyme Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipe by Dragon

Makes: 1 cup

Ingredients:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup olive oil (you may need more depending on strength of your vinegar)

Directions:
1. In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine vinegar, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper. Shake well. Add oil and shake vigorously until well combined.

2. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.