If you are searching for a salad that is unusual and tastes amazing, well done! You’ve found it!
This delicious side dish is also full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, so you don’t have to feel like you’re indulging even if it’s the holidays.
So let’s show you how to make a vegan sweet potato roasted brussels sprout salad to impress your guests this Thanksgiving.
Making A Vegan Sweet Potato Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad
A sweet potato and roasted brussels sprout salad is a wonderful vegan or vegetarian side dish to share at Christmas or Thanksgiving.
It’s also a really healthy dish for anyone at any time of year.
The sweet potato and brussels sprouts are very nutritious on their own but by adding grains you are introducing even more goodness as well as great texture to this dish.
Roasting vegetables is a great way of retaining all the nutrients which with boiling are lost.
Vitamins and minerals will leach out of vegetables into the water when they are boiled but with roasting this doesn’t happen as they are cooked with dry heat.
The color and texture of vegetables cooked in this way is much better and for this salad it works well with the addition of the grains.
Roasted vegetables also have a deeper and richer flavor over any boiled or steamed vegetables.
So, let’s get to the recipe and find out just how tasty those roasted vegetables are in a super salad.
Recipe
This vegan sweet potato and roasted brussels sprout salad is full of wonderful flavors, textures and tastes.
From the sweetness of the potato to the caramel tones of the roast brussels sprouts.
To top it off there is a delicious vinaigrette dressing with a hint of sweetness from the agave nectar or maple syrup, whichever you prefer.
The dish will take 10 minutes to prepare and just 20 minutes to cook. So you will have a delicious and nutritious side dish for your holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
The ingredients for the salad are very straightforward, just the sweet potato, brussels sprouts, grains and seasoning.
For the dressing you will need vinegar, mustard, olive oil and either agave nectar or maple syrup. The remaining ingredients are seasoning.
For the salad:
- 1 lb brussels sprouts
- 2-3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 cup cooked grains rice, couscous or quinoa (Find out Is Quinoa Low FODMAP)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1-2 tsp agave nectar or maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp dried thyme
Method
- First you need to prepare the vegetables. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes making them about 1 inch square. Then trim and quarter the brussels sprouts.
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Put the cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl with half of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir them well to coat the sweet potatoes in oil and seasoning.
- Put them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the brussels sprouts in the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper.
- When the sweet potatoes have cooked add the brussels sprouts to the baking sheet. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the color of the veg starts to change.
- While the vegetables are cooking mix together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, agave nectar, thyme and seasoning.
- When the veg is cooked, turn out into a bowl and add the grains of your choice. Stir well to combine.
- Before serving add the dressing. Or serve separately, so guests can help themselves.
To Serve
You can serve this dish chilled or at room temperature. It makes a wonderful side dish at the holidays or when you are feeling like a healthy, tasty salad.
How Healthy Are Sweet Potatoes?
Most vegetables that are orange or purple are rich in antioxidants and this is definitely true for sweet potatoes.
Antioxidants are an important part of your defense against free radicals which are unstable molecules that can cause inflammation and diseases such as cancer.
Sweet potatoes also have both soluble and insoluble fiber which remain in your digestive tract and aid digestion. Together with the antioxidants in sweet potatoes this helps maintain a healthy gut and digestive system.
They are also rich in beta-carotene which gives sweet potatoes their vibrant color, and is vital for maintaining good eyesight.
In fact, 200g of baked potato provides an adult with seven times the amount of beta-carotene they need in a day.
Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and is vital for healthy eyes.
Are Brussels Sprouts Good For You?
Brussels sprouts have had a bad rap for many years, but this is usually because people tend to overcook them. When that happens they become bitter and give off a sulfur-like smell.
But properly cooked brussels sprouts are good for you. As a leafy green vegetable they are rich in iron, folate and fiber. They are very rich in vitamin K, and are a good source of calcium and potassium.
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting but if you are taking blood thinning medication you may need to ask your doctor about adding brussels sprouts to your diet as they are so high in this vitamin.
As vegans don’t eat fish or seafood their intake of omega-3 fatty acids will be lower than those who do eat them.
Plant foods contain a type of omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Eating brussels sprouts can help with your intake of ALA.
In Conclusion
Adding a salad side dish to your holiday meals is a great way to keep fiber and nutrients on the menu and help you feel a bit healthier.
We hope you have enjoyed following our recipe for vegan sweet potato roasted brussels sprouts salad and that it will make it onto your holiday table for the future.
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!
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