Curried Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Avocado Salad

Ok, next recipe is a salad that I’ve been eating at least once, if not 2 to 3 times a week, for the past… 5 years 😬 The obsession started with a seasonal salad special we ran when I worked at @feastvirginia and it’s evolved over time to look something like this... The main feature is roasted sweet potato (or delicata/butternut squash!) spiced with a combo of curry powder and berbere spice- when I don’t have the latter, I’ve subbed it with baharat, ras el hanout, or smoked paprika to fantastic results. I’ve been making my sweet potatoes for years this way. The rest goes like this...

-A bed of greens like romaine, massaged kale, or baby arugula, spinach -protein (chickpeas that I’ll sometimes crisp up like I did here + soft boiled egg, sardines, roasted chicken, etc. if I’m feeling extra hungry)
-avocado for healthy fats and creaminess -something sweet like apples or pomegranate seeds, but dried tart cherries, golden raisins, or currants work too
-a handful of herbs, usually cilantro + mint and/or basil
-feta or chèvre for some tang and again creaminess (i’ll do nutritional yeast if I’m not feeling dairy) -an allium, like thinly sliced scallions or red onion
-lots and lots of seed or nuts for crunch and flavor! I’ve been doing a mix of sunflower seeds, pepitas, and buckwheat groats but you can also do almonds, pistachios or even a few tbsp of dukkah if you have it on hand -Recently I’ve also been throwing in some @fireflykitchensseattle kraut bc I’m always looking for ways to nourish my gut (plus it adds some acid and it tastes good!)
-I rarely do dressings, I just eye ball olive oil and vinegar lime white wine or rice, but for you, I’ve included a cumin dressing 🙃 It also goes well with the lemon tahini dressing I posted about last year.

These are basically the “building blocks” which I apply to all salads I make. Once you get the hang of it, you can improvise depending on w/e you have on hand :) I love this salad because it’s so easy - prep ingredients while you roast your veg- and so satisfying, nourishing, and filling. Try it and you’ll get the obsession.

CURRIED SWEET POTATO, CHICKPEA, and AVOCADO SALAD 

makes enough for 2 as a meal 

I get the sweet potato roasting and prep the rest of my ingredients while it’s cooking. Sweet potato and dressing will make more than you need. Save for another meal or salad :) 

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups romaine or kale (chopped), baby arugula or spinach
½ apple, cut into matchsticks or chopped
½ can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 scallions or ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced 
2 Tbsp to ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta OR 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast 
½ avocado, chopped 
¼ cup packed cilantro leaves and/or mint 
¼ cup sesame seeds, pepitas, raw buckwheat groats (I do a combination) OR chopped pistachios or almonds AND/OR a few tbsp of dukkah if you have on hand
3 to 4 tablespoons kraut (optional) 
Cumin Dressing (recipe below) 
Curried Sweet Potatoes (recipe below) 
Soft boiled egg, sardines, prosciutto, roasted chicken, you get the idea... (optional) 

In a large bowl, add everything except dressing and sweet potatoes. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of dressing over top and season with a pinch of kosher or flaky salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss until salad ingredients are coated in dressing and salad leaves are glossy. Taste and add more dressing, salt, and/or pepper as needed. Divide between bowls and top with a handful of sweet potato wedges and any protein if adding Enjoy immediately. 

Curried Sweet Potato Wedges

This works great on a medium delicata squash.

1 medium or large sweet potato , halved crosswise, then halved lengthwise, cut into ½ in wedges 
2 teaspoons curry powder 
1 teaspoon berbere spice or ras el hanout or ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 

Preheat oven to 400F. On a baking sheet large enough to hold the sweet potato wedges in one layer, toss the wedges with the spices and salt. This will seem like a lot of seasoning, but just trust me. Roast for 15 minutes, remove from oven and use spatula to flip wedges over. Roast for another 13 to 15 minutes or until nice and crispy and tender on the inside. Allow to cool a bit before adding to salad. 

Cumin Dressing

1 ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey 
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons vinegar (white wine, rice, or apple cider)
4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
A few grind of black pepper, plus more to taste 

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, add all ingredients and shake, shake, shake until dressing is emulsified. Taste and season accordingly.