The holiday season provides an excellent excuse for me to create a new salad recipe – which is how this 100% plant-based, roasted sweet potato salad with pomegranate arils came to be. I wanted to make it special while not being overly time-consuming (since there are sooo many other holiday dishes to prepare, of course). The result: A salad full of vibrant, holiday-friendly colors and plenty of texture to make it a standout. And by roasting sweet potato cubes in advance, the rest of the salad is a piece of cake!

The Base of the Salad

The base of the salad is fresh baby arugula, fresh mint leaves, those pre-roasted sweet potato cubes, and a pinch of sumac or cayenne to add extra oomph to the sweet potato cubes. You can serve the sweet potato cubes warmed up or at room temp – both are great. And don’t leave out the fresh mint leaves — they add delightful freshness and aroma to this salad.

The Dressing

For the dressing, it’s a simple one (and easy to remember!): Just whisk together one tablespoon each of four ingredients — pomegranate juice, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini — plus add a little sea salt for taste. If you get an earthy mauve-hued dressing that’s super creamy, you did it right. For the nicest presentation, just drizzle up to half of it onto the salad, and then serve the rest on the side. (Time-saver: The dressing can be made in advance and chilled.)

The Toppings

Finally, sprinkle on the fun toppings. Like edible jewels, pomegranate arils add crunch and sweet-tart pops of goodness. The pine nuts provide more crunch and, well, nuttiness. And, if you like, finish this salad with a crumbling of tangy plant-based feta or dairy-free goat cheese.

Serving the salad

This roasted sweet potato salad with pomegranate arils is meant for sharing — it serves two as a generous side salad. You could also serve it as a wholesome entrée salad for one … ideally just add some chickpeas or other plant protein to pump up the protein a bit. Or you can serve it at a festive gathering to many — it easily doubles or triples, plus you can serve more petite-sized portions if you wish. Cheers!

roasted sweet potato salad with pomegranate arils

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• Author: Jackie Newgent
• Yield: 2 side salads 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

The holiday season provides an excellent excuse for me to create a new salad recipe – which is how this 100% plant-based, roasted sweet potato salad with pomegranate arils came to be. I wanted to make it special while not being overly time-consuming (since there are sooo many other holiday dishes to prepare, of course). The result: A salad full of vibrant, holiday-friendly colors and plenty of texture to make it a standout. And by roasting sweet potato cubes in advance, the rest of the salad is a piece of cake!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Salad:

• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh baby arugula (43 grams)
• 1 handful small fresh mint leaves
• 1 rounded cup roasted sweet potato cubes, warm or room temperature* (150 grams)
• Pinch of sumac or cayenne

Creamy Pomegranate Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon 100% pomegranate or other fruit juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Toppings:

• 2 tablespoons pan-toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate arils
• 2 tablespoons crumbled plant-based feta or dairy-free goat cheese (optional)

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Instructions

1. Add the SALAD ingredients to a serving bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the CREAMY POMEGRANATE DRESSING. (If you prefer more of a vinaigrette-style dressing, simply whisk in more pomegranate or lemon juice by the 1/2 teaspoon.) Drizzle desired amount onto the salad; serve any remaining dressing on the side.
3. Sprinkle with the TOPPINGS, and serve.

Notes

*To roast sweet potato cubes: Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut sweet potatoes into 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) cubes. Toss with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt (be generous with both!) and arrange in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until caramelized as desired, about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting. You can make these up to 3 days in advance and chill.

• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Mediterranean, American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 side salad (about 1 1/2 cups each)
• Calories: 340
• Sugar: 19g includes 0g added sugars
• Sodium: 270mg
• Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fiber: 4.5g
• Protein: 5g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Want more holiday-friendly salads? Try my tahini caesar-style salad with roasted carrot chips (see recipe HERE), orzo & arugula salad with california prunes (see recipe HERE), and lemon-ginger farro salad with pomegranate & pistachios (see recipe HERE).