Bite Of MN: Roasted Sweet Potato And Onion Salad
It's always exciting to have friends over for dinner, especially after moving into a new place. Once a date is set, the next logical question is usually, "What's for dinner?"
I struggle with the answer not because I'm at a loss for ideas; rather, it's just the opposite, I have too many ideas! I start by narrowing it down based on allergies and strong dislikes (why do so many people dislike mushrooms?) and then pare it down further based on seasonality, amount of time to prepare, and ease of serving. Often I'm still left with too many ideas, so a bit of personal preference is thrown in and eventually I come to a decision.
Last weekend I faced the "What's for dinner?" question and it didn't take long to come to a decision on this roasted sweet potato salad. I could pick up most of the ingredients from the winter market at Local D'Lish and since the dish was on the lighter side, we'd have room for an appetizer, drinks, and dessert. I roasted the sweet potatoes, caramelized the onions, cooked the bacon and made the dressing ahead of time, leaving me plenty of time to socialize. While we finished appetizers, I popped the sweet potatoes and onions in the oven on the warm setting and assembled the salad while drinks were refilled. No worries, right?
Roasted Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Salad
Adapted from The Healthy Everythingtarian
(serves 4)
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large onion, sliced
1 bag spinach
1 bag arugula
Microgreens and pea shoots (from Bossy Acres at Local D'Lish), optional
4 slices bacon
½ cup chopped pecans, roasted
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp stone ground mustard
½ tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, lightly tossing halfway through baking.
Meanwhile, combine dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake until combined. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized and tender. Add ½ bag of spinach and toss with onions until wilted. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add bacon to skillet and cook until browned (or save a few pieces of bacon from breakfast). Drain on paper towels and crumble bacon.
In a large serving bowl, combine arugula, remaining fresh spinach, and microgreen mix. Toss greens with ¾ of the dressing and top with roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions and wilted spinach, bacon crumbles, pecans and blue cheese. Pass remaining dressing alongside salad.
Crystal Grobe writes the Bite of Minnesota blog as well as Cafe Cyan.
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