Winter Sweet Potato Salad

Come winter time, I love to continue to eat salads as leafy greens are in season and I believe nature has given us an abundance of them for a reason (to keep us well through the sneezing season, for more on that click here). However I always ‘warm’ them up by adding cooked vegetables, nuts, seeds and most importantly warming aromatic herbs and spices. So I give you this Winter Sweet Potato Salad as a beautiful, nourishing addition to your winter salad list with loads of lovely textures and flavours.

Health benefits

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, fibre, and antioxidants, while chickpeas add a good dose of plant-based protein and fibre. The leafy greens boost the vitamin and mineral content, making this salad a well-balanced meal.

Ingredients

For this sweet potato salad recipe you’ll need sweet potatoes, chickpeas, leafy greens like watercress, baby spinach, kale or rocket (arugula), and almonds for some crunch. A delicious dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, and a hint of syrup ties it all together.

How to make roasted sweet potato salad

Roast the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with almonds and garlic in a cinnamon-infused oil until tender. Meanwhile, sauté chickpeas with warming spices like cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric. Toss the leafy greens in a large bowl with a lemony dressing, and top with the roasted sweet potatoes, almonds, and chickpeas for a hearty salad.

Serving suggestions and how to store

This sweet potato salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature, making it great for meal prep. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and toss with dressing just before serving to keep the greens fresh.

Vary this sweet potato salad recipe to suit 

For a nut-free option, swap the almonds with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds or any other nut (like pecans or walnuts). If you’re avoiding legumes, replace the chickpeas with cooked quinoa. You can also make it vegan by using olive oil instead of ghee or butter. For a more filling meal, add cooked quinoa, shredded chicken, or tuna. Or add in any other veggies you like, like avocado or red onion. Feta cheese or goats cheese would also be a lovely addition – it’s just so versatile!

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many dietary requirements.

For lots more sides and salad inspo, take a look at my hugely popular ebook ˜Well Nourished Sides and Salads’– where vegetables become the hero of the dish! It’s great value at just $9.95, click HERE to take a look.

For more delicious, easy to make sides and salad recipes, click HERE.

Winter Sweet Potato Salad

Prep 15 minutes minutes

Cook 30 minutes minutes

Total 45 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

This Winter Sweet Potato Salad is a warming, nourishing dish packed with seasonal flavours. Roasted sweet potatoes and spiced chickpeas are combined with fresh greens and a zesty dressing, making it the perfect salad to enjoy during cooler months.

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
• 1 tbsp rice malt syrup or maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• 1 sweet potato/s (large) diced into approx. 1.5cm chunks (you can peel it or leave the skin on)
• 70 g raw almonds (½ cup)
• 1 clove/s garlic - unpeeled
• 100 g leafy greens -such as watercress (my preference), rocket or baby spinach.

Chickpeas

• 1 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
• 425 g can chickpeas - drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp sea salt - to taste
• ½ lemon/s - zest and juice

Dressing

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - extra virgin
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rice malt syrup or maple syrup
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180℃/350°F.
• In a small pot combine the ghee, butter or coconut oil, syrup, cinnamon and seasoning over a low heat unit the fat has melted and ingredients combined.
• Place the sweet potato, almonds and the whole garlic clove in a small baking dish and pour over the above mixture, tossing to coat the sweet potato and almonds well. Arrange in a single layer and bake for 20-30 minutes until the sweet potato is just cooked through.
• Now prepare your chickpeas. Without rinsing the small pot, add the ghee, butter or coconut oil and heat gently to melt. Now add the chickpeas, spices and seasoning and stir over a low heat until you can start to smell the spices (just a few minutes).
• Remove from the heat and stir in the juice and zest. Set aside.
• Place you leafy greens in a serving bowl or plate.
• Once the potato is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Make you dressing by combining all of the ingredients, together with the flesh squeezed from the baked clove of garlic.
• Just prior to serving, toss the dressing through the leaves to coat and top with the cooled sweet potato, almonds and chickpeas.

Make-ahead

• Prep all of your ingredients and assemble/ dress the salad just prior to eating.

Store

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Variations

Nut-free

Substitute the almonds with sunflower seeds.

Legume-free

Replace the chickpeas with a cup of cooked quinoa or buckwheat.

Garlic-free

Omit the garlic, there are enough lovely flavours so you won't miss it. 

Fructose-friendly

Choose rice malt syrup as your sweetener.

Vegan 

Choose olive oil as your cooking fat.

Make it go further

Add a cup of cooked quinoa, diced or shredded chicken or a can of tuna.

 

 

 

I'd love to hear if you like this recipe as much as I do. Post a comment or rate this recipe (which really helps it to reach more people). 

Course: Salad

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