This sweet potato spinach salad is a delightful side dish or light entree. Featuring roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, quick-candied pecans, and creamy white beans, all drizzled in a fresh lemon vinaigrette, your taste buds and tummy will love this beautiful autumn salad! The recipe is vegan and gluten-free with an oil-free option.Yield: serves 3 to 4 as a main dish or 6 to 8 as a side
½smallred onion, thinly sliced - Tip: if your onion smells strong, soak the slices in water while preparing the rest of the dish. Drain & pat dry.
1(15 oz.) cancannellini beans, rinsed and drained - Or sub 2 cups of another cooked bean
⅔cupdried cranberries
Lemon vinaigrette:
zest from half a lemon
¼cupfresh lemon juice
2tablespoonsmaple syrup
1tablespoonwhole grain mustard
¼cupextra virgin olive oil - For oil-free, try my Lemon-Chia Dressing or sub tahini or cashew butter for the olive oil
1clovegarlic, minced
½teaspoonfine sea salt
black pepper
Candied pecans:
1 ⅓cupsraw pecan halves
2tablespoonsmaple syrup
1tablespoontamari - Or soy sauce or shoyu if not GF
black pepper
Instructions
Roast the sweet potatoes:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss sweet potato with the oil, smoked paprika, and salt, and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Make the dressing and marinate the beans:
Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small jar, and shake vigorously. *If subbing cashew butter or tahini for the oil, you'll need to whisk the ingredients to combine. Add a splash of water for consistency if needed.Place the beans in a small bowl. Pour about a quarter of the dressing over the beans. Stir to coat; set aside.
Quick-candied pecans:
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Toast the pecans for 1 to 2 minutes, frequently stirring or shaking the pan. Drizzle with the maple syrup and soy sauce, and stir to coat. Sprinkle with black pepper. Stir frequently, and cook for another minute or until the soy sauce and maple are mostly evaporated.
The pecans will be sticky. Transfer to a plate, and spread them out to cool.
Assemble the salad:
In a large serving bowl toss the spinach, onion, and cranberries with a small amount of dressing. Add the sweet potato, beans, and cooled pecans (use your hands to break them apart and crumble onto the salad). Drizzle with more vinaigrette, or serve the dressing on the side.
Notes
You may not need all of the pecans for the salad. Enjoy the leftovers as a snack!Once dressed with vinaigrette, the salad is best served immediately. For meal prep, store salad components and vinaigrette separately. Store salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; lemon dressing will keep up to a week.Dried cranberries usually contain oil and sugar. If you strictly avoid these I recommend substituting dried cherries, apricots or raisins.