I’m not sure if this really qualifies as a salad, but I SHALL CALL IT A SALAD AND A SALAD IT SHALL BE. (That being said, I think this it could also make a very nice side dish too. Maybe served with a pork chop?)
This made an excellent lunch – a veritable cornucopia of flavours – and it’s officially my new favourite. I ate it faster than you could say: “Boy, this is A VERY GOOD SALAD.”
This recipe is based on this one, which looked good but I thought (a) the dressing could use a little something and (b) I needed to make this into a recipe for one.
Pro tip: roasting the sweet potato in a toaster oven is faster than firing up your regular oven.
For the main part of this dish you will need:
1 smallish sweet potato, cut into chunks
a dash of olive oil
salt (I’m currently addicted to PC black label sea salts. It’s a mix of salt, rosemary, garlic, sage, and pepper, and I use it all the time.)
1/2 Gala apple, diced (My foodie friend Paula Roy told me that they don’t brown as quickly as the others. I had no idea. She’s so smart!)
a handful of kale, washed, torn, stems removed
pecan pieces for sprinkling
For the dressing you will need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1) Toss your chunks of sweet potato with a drizzle of olive oil and your salt of choice. Pop into the toaster oven set at 400F for about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice.
- 2) While your potato is roasting, make the dressing and deal with your kale. If you’ve never eaten raw kale before, make note: I’m not kidding about the stems. They’re bitter, so get rid of them TOOT SWEET.
- 3) Put your kale pieces in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Then, using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale. I bet you’re thinking HOW GROSS. KALE MASSAGE. WELL I NEVER! If you skip this step you’ll be losing out, big time. The pinchy squeezy motion of massaging the kale breaks it down at a cellular level, magically reducing its bitterness and actually changing its flavour. Don’t be shy, give it a really good rubdown, then let it sit in the dressing while the sweet potato finishes cooking.
- 4) By now your dog will be wondering what’s going on in the kitchen. Promise him or her a little wedge of sweet potato. I bet your dog would give it a thumbs up, if it had thumbs.
- 5) Once the potato is done (you’ll be able to sink a fork into it), it’s time to assemble your salad. Move the kale over to a plate, top with the sweet potato, apple, and pour the remaining dressing over the whole shebang. Top with pecan bits. Add freshly ground pepper if desired.
That’s it! Let me know if you try this recipe!
