A balanced lifestyle has never tasted so good with this Roasted Vegetable Grain Salad with Avocado, Feta, and Walnuts, featuring Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.
Chris... some people eat to live, and others live to eat."
I can't even begin to count the number of times my mom told me this throughout my childhood. I have always been on the pudgy side of the weight spectrum. Always. Man, I just absolutely love to eat. Always have, always will. My metabolism has never been able to keep up with my ambitious food intake. If only there was an app for that.
And especially now that I'm in my 30s... forget it. So with our Baby Olivia expected to arrive in a short while, it's important to me now more than ever to be on track with a balanced lifestyle. Exercise regularly (you know how I love to exercise... but I'm doing it!). Eat the right stuff. And this ridiculously easy and super flavorful Roasted Vegetable Grain Salad with Avocado, Feta, and Walnuts lets me do just that.
What I really love about this salad is that you can totally customize it with whatever you have lying around the pantry and refrigerator:
- I used some wild rice and whole wheat couscous, but you could easily swap in some quinoa, brown rice, farro, lentils... you get the idea.
- My roasted veggies here are sweet potato, butternut squash, and beets (and grapes... yes, I know they are a fruit). Have some other veggie love? Rock it. Own it. Embrace it.
- Mix-in walnuts, crumbled feta, chopped parsley, and avocado. Or don't. You could easily use cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, pine nuts, goat cheese... get creative and build some serious flavor.
But of course, the real star of this show that bring all these flavors together? This awesome balsamic vinaigrette. 
Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing is hands down my new favorite balsamic dressing. The flavor is simple, pure, and pretty darn amazing.
And you know what makes me feel really good about serving this dressing to Asheley (and ipso facto Baby Olivia)? When I flip the bottle around and look at the ingredient list, it's short. AND, I can actually read and understand all the ingredients on the label. It's got none of that preservative, HFCS, or artificial flavor/color garbage.
Marzetti® has some legit history. They began as a family restaurant in Columbus, Ohio more than 125 years ago. Customers were all about their dressings, so they began packaging and selling them in stores during the 1950s. You can find Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, as well as a whole bunch of other great flavors, in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store.
And then you can get your whole grain and veggies on... and be living the balanced lifestyle dream 🙂 
Roasted Vegetable Grain Salad
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked black or wild rice
- 2 cups cooked whole wheat couscous
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 2 beets, peeled
- 2 cups red-skinned seedless grapes
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup crumbled Feta cheese
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ⅓ to ½ cup Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- 2 avocados, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop butternut squash, sweet potato, and beets into uniform ¼" - ½" pieces. Place vegetables on separate aluminum foil lined baking sheets, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and season with Kosher salt. Toss to coat and make sure they are in a single layer. Roast until tender, about 20-30 minutes (cooking time will vary depending upon how large the vegetables were chopped... squash and sweet potato cooks more quickly than beets typically).
- Place grapes in a single layer on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with Kosher salt. Toss to coat and roast until grapes wrinkle and collapse slightly, about 20-25 minutes.
- Grains and roasted vegetables should not be piping hot when assembling salad. It's best if they've had a chance to cool a bit (room temperature is totally great). Combine rice, couscous, desired amount of roasted vegetables and grapes (about 2 to 3 cups), chopped walnuts, crumbled feta, and chopped parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle in balsamic vinaigrette, toss to coat, and divide among bowls. Top with sliced avocado and devour immediately.
Notes
Feel free to substitute other grains as desired. Quinoa, brown rice, farro, lentils, etc. will all work great!
Although I've given approximate amounts of each ingredient, please customize this salad to your liking. Want more walnuts or feta cheese? Go for it. Less parsley? Rock on. And I would suggest starting with a smaller amount of dressing, mix it in, and taste. Keep adding a little more, tasting along the way, until you reach that perfect balance.
You'll probably have more roasted vegetables and grapes than you need. Refrigerate unused portion for up to several days and use for something else (mix in to some pasta one night, make some crostini, etc.).
How will you use Marzetti® Simply Dressed® refrigerated salad dressings to make fresh and simple meals for you and your family? Leave a comment below to enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.
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Be sure to visit the Marzetti® Simply Dressed® brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
Taylor
GAH! SO much love for this whole post! 1. What a fun video!! So happy to see ya doing one!
2. This salad. The YUM and HEALTH factor is off da chartz! I love all those grains with the creamy dressing and avocado. Pinning!
Melanie
Go Chris! Love the video. It's so awesome. I'm way too scared yet to do videos.
So excited for this sweet new little girl you'll soon be holding. I can't wait for pictures!
Have a great week!
Shanni
What a beautiful healthy option for Easter! Thank you!
CakePants
What a delicious and beautiful salad! I'm loving the roasted grapes!
cori
Other than a salad, I think the balsamic would be great to add to a simmer sauce of pork medallions with mushrooms!
Bianca
I totally want this for lunch right now. I would prob do a very similar salad (grains + roasted veggies + avocado + cheese) to use that delicious balsamic dressing!
Lisa Brown
I would use the Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing to make a chicken and veggie dinner.
★★★★★
Lisa Brown
my tweet https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/583291701030182912
Julie Wood
What a delicious and great looking salad! I’m love the roasted grapes! I am going to use the all natural Ranch dressing to make my Cold Chicken Pasta salad that I make this time of the year! This Marzetti dressing is the best tasting!
★★★★★
Julie Wood
Tweet Entry
https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/583298468568961024
★★★★★
Stardancer
Salads are tricky for me, because I'm suspicious of vegetables and my husband is a foodie, so I can't just throw lettuce in a bowl (unless it's got Caesar dressing on it). Having a really interesting salad dressing will make the perfect-salad puzzle a little easier!
Kelly H
Our office has a "Salad Club" in the summer months. Each of us signs up to bring one part of a salad, then each person participating has all the makings right here at work for a great salad! We often have themes like mexican or southwest or Italian type salads. This Marzetti dressings offer lots of variety and choices AND taste great!
Elena
I would use the Greek Feta dressing to make Greek salad
Elena
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/583313756119236608
courtney b
other then the obvioius, (which is salad) I would mix this with a couple spices and make a chicken sauce and make some sort of baked chicken.
Thank you !:)
courtney b
tweet
https://twitter.com/MeandBells/statuses/583427314391842816
Mami2jcn
I would make noodle salad with tuna.
Mami2jcn
tweet--https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/583431005526224896
Megan
This looks delicious!! I love grain salads - they're one of the few healthy meals that don't leave me hungry in like 5 minutes. I love your mix and match ideas! 😀
Kelly D
I would use Marzetti dressing in a grilled chicken and salad wrap.
Natalie
I would marinate chicken using the Marzetti ginger sesame simply dressed salad dressing to make a Asian chicken wrap with bell peppers and broccoli slaw. I would then use the dressing as a dip for the wrap.
Natalie
https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/583700441525006336
Laura H
I will use it to recreate your yummy looking recipe!
Laura H
https://twitter.com/LauraBessy/status/583704035590438912
Mike
Duuuuuude, you're a natural in front of the camera. I'm telling ya, you can have a career in television!
The video is great and so is the recipe.
#WolfpackAnchorman
Kevin | keviniscooking
Right off the bat, awesome sounding salad. Secondly, dude , the video was so cool. Very impressed! Congrats again to you and Ashley for the addition of little Oliva! #WolfpackEats!
★★★★★
Rachael Abel
Oh darn - everyone's talking about a video and it's not loading for me. 🙁 Great looking salad, though!!! Gorg. I'd use the dressing - very 'boringly' on my regular everyday salad that I eat for lunch. I eat very healthfully, but I'm a super lazy eater. Haha. Great post & giveaway!! 🙂
★★★★★
steve weber
I would use the poppyseed to make a strawberry, feta, spinach and grilled chicken salad.
steve weber
tweet- https://twitter.com/groogruxking40/status/584217762198847488
Nicole Dziedzic
I would use the Pomegranate Salad Dressing to make a spring fruit salad for my family.
★★★★★
Nicole Dziedzic
Tweet: https://twitter.com/lil_lady_dz/status/584240795055624193
★★★★★
Lindsey
This is my kind of salad!!! Absolutely gorgeous! Pinned! And I hear you on the metabolism. Mine needs to get with the program! I was just telling my brother last night that if I found a genie one of my 3 wishes would be to have the metabolism of a 15 year old boy. Just sayin'.
Rachel
I'd use them to mix with vegetables and pasta in a nice pasta salad
Rachel
Twitter entry: https://twitter.com/rachabake/status/584505673687371777
Jessie C.
I would use Marzetti Simply Dressed® refrigerated salad dressings to make steak sandwiches with avocado.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
Jessie C.
-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/584801938681782272
Sarah Hall
I would use Marzetti's Ranch on my fresh tomato, broccoli, cauliflower salad.
nadya kotik
we use dressings on salads and baking chicken!
Stacy D.
I would love to pour some of this on some chicken and grill it outside!
Wanda McHenry
I would use the Balsamic Salad Dressing on my Grilled Beef with Spinach and Strawberry Salad.
Wanda McHenry
https://twitter.com/myfolly/status/586109069427113984
Christine
"my ambitious food intake" - Seriously I just laughed for like 10 minutes, such an incredibly simple, funny way of putting things! well done Chris 🙂
this salad looks INSANE - I am so about grains right now so this is just the kind of meal I need to make for myself. pinned!
Jennai
I would make a watermelon, mint and feta salad with the Simply Dressed® Balsamic Salad Dressing
D SCHMIDT
I would use the Marzetti® Light Caesar Vinaigrette Dressing to make a delicious Baby Romaine Salad for my family
★★★★★
Howie Fox
When it came to weight I think I was rather on the lucky side if you will. I have the feeling that I can eat a lot without putting on (much) weight. It's often really body type depended I think!
I didn't realize there is such thing as whole wheat couscous! WIll have to look for it 🙂
Sarah
WAIT! How did I miss that you announced your baby's name?!?! Olivia! It's so cute - I love it. Also - this grain salad sounds like something I'd love just as much as Olivia:) I could use some healthy-side-of-things recipes right now too haha.
rachel
I hear you on metabolism and hitting your 30s! Right there with you! So I'd use it to make a salad. 🙂
Elle
I would use the Pomegranate dressing to make a delicious salad with pieces of grilled chicken mixed in.
Elle
Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/587627090255732736
Jamie
I would use this Balsamic dressing to marinate chicken and grill it up! That with some corn on the cob and watermelon sounds perfect for a summer BBQ!
Kelly
Aaw loved this post and your video! Olivia is such a pretty baby girl's name 🙂 Haha my husband said the same thing about dating too! Love grain salads and this one is packed with so much yumminess! It looks fantastic!
karen
I would love using the dressing to make hearty salads all summer!
Kimmy Ripley
I love couscous. Would love to try this recipe out. Thanks for posting it.
Anna Pry
these dressings would make tasty and healthier dips for my kids’ chicken tenders pryfamily5@gmail.com
tina m
I will use this make chicken salad.
tina m
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/592037034203709440
Kristen
I'll make a big salad with greens & tomatoes & cukes & avocado & kidney beans & dried fruit and let everyone dress their won portion with whichever Marzetti dressing they choose.
Kristen
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/592942233541877760
ps---I am SO making that salad...looks good!
Chris
Thanks Kristen!
Madeline
I'll use the Marzetti Simply Dressed Ranch to make toasted cheesy ranch tuna salad sandwiches. Delicious!
Madeline
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/593927605084155904
maria cantu
I would use them in chicken or tuna salad.
Lauren E.
Id use balsamic to make a 3 bean salad
Lauren E.
Id use balsamic to glaze chicken breasts
Amy Tong
I will use Marzetti® Simply Dressed® refrigerated salad dressings to make a BLT salad for my family. we love BLT sandwich, so the salad version is rather a healthier version.
amy [at] utry [dot] it
jessica
I would make a spring mix salad. Yum!
ANGEL JACKLYN
https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/597989544550502403
ANGEL JACKLYN
WOULD LOVE TO TRY MARZETTI'S APPLE CABBAGE SLAW RECIPE http://www.marzettikitchens.com/kitchens/recipes/detail/468/apple-cabbage-slaw
Cynthia C
I would like to try the Sriracha Ranch Salad Dressing to kick up my potato salad.
Cynthia C
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/598136672753209344
nickie
I would use the Greek Feta dressing to make Greek salad
Margaret Smith
I’d love to make chicken caesar salad with Romaine, Tomato, carrots, radish, cooked chicken croutons and Marzetti Caesar dressing. Thanks so much.
Margaret Smith
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/peg42/status/598140670738624512
Sandy Klocinski
Some sound like they’d make great marinades
Sandy Klocinski
https://twitter.com/Attea2d/status/598142169480863744
Debbi Wellenstein
I’d use Marzetti’s Avocado Ranch Dressing to make a great pasta salad.
Rosanne Morrison
I use the ranch on my BLT's that I add cheese and avocados to
★★★★★
Rosanne Morrison
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/rosannepm/status/598237230042329091
★★★★★
Kiara
I would use Marzetti dressing on my grilled chicken salad.
austma7@aol.com
Jimmy
I would make a grilled chicken salad and use the ranch dressing.
Stephanie V.
oh - looks wonderful! Would also make a chopped salad, potato salad and tuna salad!
tvollowitz at aol dot com
sarah hirsch
i would use marzetti simply dressed to make a great salad for my family
Toni C
My family uses dressing for salads 99% of the time.
Denise S
I would use these in different types of salad.
Ashley C
I would love to use it on a chicken, bacon, ranch pasta salad
Barbara M
I would use the Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing for Strawberry Walnut green salad.
Add bread sticks good to go!
thank you
★★★★★
Barbara M
Tweet https://twitter.com/JalapenoMama/status/598690197534998528
mickeyfan
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Dressing would be great on my spinach salad.
★★★
BusyWorkingMama
I'd like to use the dressing as a dip for a fresh plate of vegetables. Looks like you created a beautiful and delicious salad!
Samantha Daleo
My favorite meal to make out of Marzetti dressing is a yummy Chef Salad! I love to use the Blue Cheese dressing with my left over meats, hard boiled eggs, crispy onion strings, beets and crumbled blue cheese as well. Such a great and yummy meal!
★★★★
Samantha Daleo
TWEET!
https://twitter.com/samdaleo/status/599259547757367296
★★★★
katie
I'll make a delicious dip for our favorite veggies!
Kimberley Meier
I would use the ranch dressing to make my chicken BLT salad.
Kimberley Meier
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/MRSMEIER5627/status/599311316801626113
Anastasia Falling
I would start by following your recipe! YUM! I'd love some of this right now! And, of course, I'd use it for typical salads too 🙂
Anastasia Falling
Tweeted 🙂 - https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/599594939987533824
Kiara
I would use Marzetti dressing in a grilled chicken salad.
austma7@aol.com
Lynda E
I use the slaw dressing to make deviled eggs.
April
I could definitely see myself using their cherry balsamic vinaigrette as a marinade for my baked chicken.
Kathleen
I would use one of these dressings to make a chicken salad.
kport207 at gmail dot com
Ellie Wright
I would use their dressings as dip for veggies for my boys, and also as marinades for meat.
Ellie Wright
tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/601187359032500224
Bruce
salad with dinner
Kathy Pease
I would add some in a tuna macaroni salad to zest it up
Kathy Pease
https://twitter.com/klp1965/status/602161422160797696
Kerry
I would love to make a fresh veggie salad and top it with their dressing!
Kerry
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/602573427698999296
Debbie B
we like eating salads during the summertime and would enjoy these salad dressings!
Debbie B
i posted a tweet here: https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/602634151578046464
Susan Smith
I am going to use the Ranch Dressing to make my Chicken Pasta salad.
Susan Smith
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/602664266177601537
Christina Sparks
I would like to use it to make a chicken cesear salad.
Dandi D
I would use the dressing on some fresh spinach salad from the garden.
Dandi D
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/dandidaffyhill/status/603025075181232129
Leela
I would use it in a pasta salad.
Aurelie Red
I would use it in a fresh veggie salad, with walnuts, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots... yummy !
joe gersch
i would use the dressing in a buffallo chicken sub
Aurelie Red
My tweet https://twitter.com/AurelieRed/status/603137371379474432
s riches
I would like to use Marzetti dressing to make some potatoe salad.
★★★★★
Stephanie Galbraith
We will pick some veggies from our garden and make some amazing salads.
Amanda Sakovitz
I would use this on an avocado and tomato side dish!
Amanda Sakovitz
tweet
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/603937185931370496
Sue Barney
My boys love a fully dressed Chef Salad with Marzetti® Simply Dressed Ranch dressing!
★★★★
erica best
i would used to make a warp for a hot summer night
erica best
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/604049466694488064
sherri crawford
i would try something like this with pasta or wild rice
angie
OOOOOO! I would love to try the Stuffed Mushrooms recipe, making it my own by using vegetarian meat substitutes! It would be divine! 😀
http://www.marzettikitchens.com/kitchens/recipes/detail/305/stuffed-mushrooms
angie
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/604377904592621569
Daniel M
Greek Feta dressing for a Greek salad
Lisa Garner
I would use these sauces to make fresh, natural burritos.
Lisa Garner
I Tweeted: https://twitter.com/lisalmg/status/604437163359375360
Erica B.
Would be good for marinating chicken.
Diane baum
I would like to try it as a marinate for salmon
★★★★★
Aaron Shapiro
This looks great! Thanks for this and thanks for the giveaway!
Birdiebee
I would use the Thousand Island Dressing to dress up our Crab Louie Salad.
Birdiebee
Tweeted.
https://twitter.com/birdiebee52/status/604554052521689088?lang=en
Eugenia Hall
I'd use them as a light glaze on grilled shrimp or salmon, and then serve them over a nice green salad with more of the same dressing.
★★★★
Ed
This would top my daily spinach salad.
Betty C
I would make a mixed green salad with grilled chicken, almonds, dried cranberries or fresh strawberries, lots of fresh veggies and dress it with Pomegranate Salad Dressing. So good!
Betty C
Tweet - https://twitter.com/willitara/status/604708110490607616
Mari
I’d make spicy chicken salad.
Mari
https://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/604750953540161537
Thomas Murphy
I would use the dressings on grilled chicken salad.
Thomas Murphy
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/604765554487009280
Kayte CookWatts
I would do a spinach salad with roasted carrots & brussels sprouts, cherries, candied pecans and blue cheese dressing. Oh and avocado- that's a must have on any salad.
Dana Cerrito
I will use Marzetti® Simply Dressed® in my famous Pasta Salad!
★★★★★
Dana Cerrito
https://twitter.com/auntdududana/status/604784041821409281
Janice Cooper
I love Marzetti dressings and would use this when making pasta salad
Janice Cooper
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/604804948937830400
Taylor Ross
Whaow
★★★★★
Brenda Elsner
I would use ranch dressing to make a chicken salad.
Denise L
I'll add Marzetti Simply Dressed to my garden-fresh veggies to make a great salad!
Denise L
tweeted - https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/604841641262739456
tina reynolds
I willuse for potato salad and family dressings
Tabathia B
I would add it to a salad using romaine lettuce, tomatoes and shredded rotisserie chicken
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tabathia B
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/604885352818569217
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com