I never dreamed I’d see the day when I would crave veggies, but Kathryne Taylor has changed my mindset and I can’t get enough! My copy of her fairly new book, Love Real Food, already sports a fringe of post-it notes—recipes I want to try, as well as those that are now part of our family dinner routine.
Oven roasted sweet potatoes provide the satisfaction in this salad, handfuls of arugula and chunks of avocado keep it fresh. Sometimes we grill a pork tenderloin “for the boy” (12 year old…still a big carnivore) and the rest of us add a slice or two to our salads—this is what eating more plants looks like in our family. I hope you like this recipe and pick up a copy of Kate’s book too!
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing
adapted from Kathryne Taylor's "Southwestern Roasted Veggie Salad with Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing"
serves 2- 3 for main dish
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced 3/4" about 3/4 lb.
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1" squares
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- a couple pinches of sea salt
Toasted Pepitas (or Maple Pepitas)
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1 tsp olive oil
- a couple pinches of sea salt
Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp adobo sauce (from can of chipotle peppers in adobo)
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced and mashed with 1/4 tsp salt
Salad
- 5 oz. arugula
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled optional
- 2 tbsp sun dried tomato, thinly sliced optional
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
Roasted Veggies
-
Preheat oven to 400° F. Toss sweet potatoes and bell pepper with olive oil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with chili powder and salt then turn out onto a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, shaking pan once during baking time. You want the veggies to be tender and caramelized.
Toasted Pepitas
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Put pepitas in a small frying pan, drizzle with olive oil and cook over medium heat until they turn golden brown and begin to make popping noises, about 5 minutes. Turn out onto a plate and sprinkle with salt.
Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing
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Measure olive oil into a glass measuring cup and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
Salad
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Add the arugula, roasted veggies, toasted pepitas, feta (optional), and sun-dried tomatoes (optional) to a large salad bowl. When ready to serve, drizzle with just enough dressing and toss, you might not use all the dressing. Add the diced avocado and serve.
