One of the things that I love about salads is just how versatile they can be. They can be crisp, light and refreshing or they can be warm, complex and comforting like this roast sweet potato, pomegranate and goat cheese salad. The ingredients can be found year round and their combination can be served in summer or winter.
From the layers upon layers of flavors to the varying textures and temperatures, this salad makes me really happy and it will make you happy too.
Let’s get it started…
Even with roasting the sweet potatoes, this salad will come together in less than 30 minutes. Start by peeling and thinly wedging a medium sweet potato. Place the wedges into a large bowl and add a splash of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the seasoning of your choice and toss until all of the sweet potatoes are coated.
Transfer the sweet potatoes onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roast them in a 400 degree oven until they are tender and lightly golden (about 15-20 minutes).
You can use raw or pickled red onions in this salad, depending on how you prefer them. I love pickled red onions, so today, we are going to quick pickle some red onions for our salad.
Thinly slice a red onion and place it into a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil, remove it from the heat and add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, some crushed garlic, a few whole peppercorns and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pour this mixture over the thinly sliced onions, toss them around and then chill them for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients.
Now that the sweet potatoes are roasting and the red onions are pickling, gather some baby arugula, pomegranate arils, crumble some goat cheese and grab your favorite dressing.
Time to assemble!!
Add a layer of baby arugula onto your favorite plate and then top with the roast sweet potatoes, the pickled red onions, crumbled goat cheese, lots of pomegranate arils and maybe some finely chopped walnuts and crushed croutons.
Crushed croutons, you say? Yes… the next time you add croutons to your salad, take a few in your hand and crush them a little over your salad bowl. It’s one of my favorite salad add ins. Give it a try!
The combination of the warm, tender sweet potatoes with the cool, crisp arugula is just wonderful and the flavors are so well balanced. The pickled onions are spicy and tart, the arugula is peppery, the goat cheese is creamy and tangy and the pomegranate arils are a bright pop of sweetness that brings everything together in a fabulous way. I try to have some in each bite…
In addition to the wonderful flavors and textures, this salad is also full of healthy ingredients. The sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, the red onions contain antibacterial properties and pomegranates are an amazing superfood that are full of antioxidants and flavonoids that are shown to fight cancer and improve gut health.
This salad is beautiful, flavorful and the perfect way to add something new to your salad game. Something that you are going to absolutely love.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Pomegranate & Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, wedged
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of seasoning
- 3 cups of baby arugula
- 1/3 cup of fresh pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup of goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup of red onions, raw or pickled
- 1/4 cup of walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup of your favorite dressing
- croutons, crushed (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Peel and cut your sweet potato into thin wedges and transfer them into a large bowl
- Toss the sweet potato with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of your favorite seasoning
- Spread the seasoned wedges over a parchment lined baking sheet
- Bake in a 400 degree oven, tossing occasionally, until tender (about 15-20 minutes)
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting, assemble your salads by dividing the ingredients between two bowls
- Add the roasted sweet potatoes and the dressing
- Enjoy!
