Sweet potato, quinoa and apple salad with a tahini-honey dressing
This salad delivers on every front. It’s nutrient-dense, full of fibre, and naturally energising, yet still feels wonderfully light and fresh. It’s perfect as a stand-alone lunch, but is also flexible enough to handle extra protein if you want a heartier main meal. With a creamy, lightly sweet dressing tying all the wholesome flavours together, this recipe proves healthy eating can be truly delicious.
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, diced, skin on
1½ cups (about 285g) quinoa, rinsed
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
⅓ cup (about 45g) toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
1 yellow capsicum, diced
1 apple, diced
½ small red onion, very finely diced
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
½ cup (about 30g) mint leaves, finely chopped
½ pomegranate, seeds removed
TAHINI-HONEY DRESSING
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
¼ cup (60ml) orange juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato with the olive oil, sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Spread the seasoned sweet potato onto a baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
Step 2
While the sweet potato roasts, place the rinsed quinoa in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3
While the main ingredients cook, make the tahini-honey dressing by whisking together the olive oil, tahini, orange juice, vinegar and honey in a small bowl until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, combine the roasted sweet potato, cooked quinoa, almonds, cucumber, capsicum, apple, red onion, spinach, mint and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle the tahini-honey dressing over the ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately or chill briefly for a cooler, more refreshing option.
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Sarah Pound is a nutritionist, author of the cookbook 'Wholesome by Sarah', and a recipe columnist for Good Food.
