Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Herb Salad

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional.

2. Place the sweet potato, olive oil and sea salt flakes into a large baking dish. Toss to coat evenly and then spread out into a single layer.

3. Bake for 50 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool. I like to use a metal spatula to lift the sweet potato from the base of the baking dish as soon as it comes out of the oven, to help prevent sticking. For faster cooling, transfer to a large bowl or plate.

4. Spread the pecans onto a baking tray and pop into the oven to toast for 5–7 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure that they don’t burn. Transfer to a plate to cool.

5. Meanwhile, place the quinoa into a large saucepan and cover with water. Use your hand to swirl around to help remove excess saponins, which can taste bitter and impact the absorption of the nutrients in the quinoa. Drain and repeat two more times. Drain well. Return quinoa to pan and add 2 cups (500 ml) water. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Turn off the heat and stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and use a fork to fluff up the grains. Set aside to cool. (For faster cooling, transfer to the salad bowl that you will be using.)

6. To make the dressing, add the apple cider vinegar, wholegrain mustard and honey to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until combined. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

7. To assemble the salad, add the cooled quinoa, roasted sweet potato, baby spinach, olives, chickpeas and parsley to a large salad bowl. Roughly chop the toasted pecans and add to the bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss everything to combine evenly. Crumble the goat’s cheese over the top of the salad and serve.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Dairy-free option – swap the goat’s cheese for a vegan feta

Fussy eaters – leave the dressing off and serve the salad ingredients separately along with any other favourite veggies.

Nut-free option – swap the pecans for toasted sunflower seeds

or pepitas.

Storage – store the salad dressing in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before using. Store the salad in the fridge, undressed, for up to 4 days. Dress on the day of eating.

Recipe from Our Nourishing Week by Sarah Bell,

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