Roasted Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Arugula
This roasted sweet potato, quinoa and arugula salad is an easy vegetarian recipe featuring crisp and tender roasted sweet potato, fresh cilantro, toasted seeds and pomegranate tossed in a simple and tasty dressing. It makes a great light dinner on its own, or a side salad for soups and sandwiches. Plus it packs great for lunches, too! Serves 4-6.
Course
Salad
Category
Mediterranean
Prep Time15minutes
Cook Time40minutes
Total Time55minutes
Servings4
Calories312kcal
AutorElle
Ingredients
For the salad:
1cupquinoa(200 g)
2medium organic sweet potatoes,peeled and cubed (600 g)
1tablespoonor more extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper,to taste
50gyoung arugula leaves,coarsely chopped
1bunch fresh cilantro,leaves removed
2tablespoonsmixed seeds(such as pine nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds), lightly toasted
seeds from half a pomegranate
For the dressing:
3tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
2tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lime juice(alternatively use lemon juice)
1teaspoonhoney,more if you prefer a sweeter dressing
1garlic clove,minced
sea salt and freshly ground pepper,to taste
Method
Rinse the uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Place in a medium saucepan and cook according to package instructions, in double the amount of water for about 20 minutes. Once most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy, remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let stand for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a large salad bowl to further cool.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the sweet potato on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, toss to coat, and spread out in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Slide the tray in the preheated oven and roast for about 25-30 minutes (depending on size of pieces), tossing them once halfway through, until everything is soft and a little crisp at the edges.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well combined.
Drizzle the dressing over the quinoa, add the arugula and cilantro and toss until well combined. Gently fold in roasted sweet potatoes, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and toasted seeds, serve and enjoy!
Notes
When roasting vegetables they tend to shrink a little, so cut the sweet potatoes into 2 – 2,5 cm pieces.
Be sure to spread the sweet potatoes out evenly on the pan before putting them in the oven. If they are overlapping or too close together they will steam rather than roast.
This salad is great served while the sweet potato is warm, but it also tastes great at room temperature. You might even find yourself enjoying it so much that you eat for lunch and dinner!
Make it vegan: skip the honey and use maple syrup instead.