Trying to make the perfect salad to many is an impossible task, however, there is absolutely no denying that if there was such a thing as a perfect salad, that this gorgeous sweet potato quinoa vegan salad would most definitely come close.
This salad has everything you need for a salad that is just packed full of veggies and bursting with flavor. So, if you’re yet to find the best staple salad for your recipe book, then you’re most certainly going to want to give this one a try!
What We Love
There’s a lot to love about this recipe, but first and foremost, we just have to celebrate the wonderfully versatile quinoa (Find out Is Quinoa Low FODMAP), without which, we most certainly wouldn’t have this recipe.
It makes such a good super food as it is super delicious and is packed full of protein, which is especially convenient if you’re vegan.
Usually, we’re often too busy to set aside enough time to really prepare some healthy and yummy food, but by preparing our salads ahead of time, you can make sure that you’re eating healthily even if you happen to be running late.
So you can make this recipe in larger amounts if you plan on setting it aside for a later date, so whether you’re planning on having this salad as a main meal or as a side dish, we guarantee you’ll enjoy it!
Ingredients Needed
A lot goes into making this super yummy salad, but don’t get too scared just because the ingredients list is a little long, this salad is super easy to make so even if you’re not the most confident of cooks, you should still have no problem putting this together (Also Check out this Vegan Sweet Potato Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad Recipe).
Salad
For the main portion of the salad, here are all the ingredients you’re going to need
Quinoa (175g): As the name suggests, you’re going to need plenty of quinoa. This recipe calls for white quinoa, but you can also use red or black depending on your preference. White tends to be more fluffy, as well as cooking faster, and being more tender.
Sweet potatoes (500g): obviously!
Spring onions/scallions (2 spring onions/scallions): either will do fine, make use of all of the white parts, as well as some of the green.
Olive oil (1 tbsp): when it comes to using olive oil, you really shouldn’t skimp out, extra virgin olive oil tastes much better and also has some added health benefits that make this salad even better for you.
Parsley (⅓ cup): whilst this recipe calls for the continental/flat-leaf variety of parsley, curly leaf parsley will also suffice just fine in this recipe.
Pine nuts (¼ cup): these wonderful nuts have a super buttery flavor and lovely soft texture when they’re raw, but you could also toast them ever so slightly in a dry frying pan if you wanted to add a little bit of crunch.
Water (500ml): only for cooking the quinoa!
Dressing
This dressing is super easy to make, so don’t panic too much!
Lemon zest (1 teaspoon): This is an easy way of introducing a lot of flavor into your dressing.
Olive oil (3 teaspoons): Again, we can explain enough how much of a difference extra virgin olive oil makes.
Lemon juice (2 teaspoons): Yes you can buy it pre-bottled, fresh lemon juice is the best!
Maple Syrup (2 teaspoons): Makes your dressing nice and sweet.
Salt and pepper (to taste): Use as much or as little of this as you’d like, it’s up to you!
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 200°C or 390° F. Then, you need to peel and then rinse your sweet potato, before cutting it carefully in half lengthways, and then into slices, so that they resemble half-moon shapes.
Then, you need to line an oven pan with baking paper, and then place your cut sweet potato onto the tray, but don’t forget to toss it with oil and salt and pepper first!
These should take 35-40 minutes to properly roast in the oven. Once cooked, remove and place them to the side.
Next, you’ll want to rinse your quinoa in a sieve under running water, making sure you wash it properly, even using your hand if you have to.
Then drain it well, and then add the 2 cups of water to a pan and bring it to the boil, before adding your quinoa and letting it simmer over a low heat for around 10-12 minutes until the quinoa is fully tender.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and then cover it in a few layers of paper towel, and replace the lid. This will allow the last of the water and moisture from the quinoa to be soaked up entirely.
Then, add both your quinoa and sweet potato to a bowl, before mixing the dressing and chopping both your spring onions/scallions and the parsley.
Once you’ve prepped the dressing and parsley, add them both to the bowl and toss them well together before you serve,
How To Make Sure Your Salad Is A Success
There are a few key things to remember to ensure that this salad goes down a success at your next dinner party!
The first is that you should only roast your sweet potato, whilst microwaving it might save you a lot of time, it also doesn’t carry the same flavor as roasting it will!
The next is to serve your salad at room temperature, as when you serve it cold, it will lose a lot of its flavor. So if you plan on refrigerating it ahead of time, give it enough time to reach room temp before you serve it.
Final Words
This salad is super simple, so why not try it at home sometime soon!
Hi, my name is Kimberly Kidd and I love to cook and eat delicious, nutritious meals featuring natural, organic plants.
Since my sister introduced me to vegan cooking four years ago, I have discovered so many delicious alternatives to the traditional meaty meals I used to eat.
Today I enjoy trying and making my own vegan-friendly alternatives. If my sister can do it, then so can I (and you can, too). It is easier than you may think, promise!
