This is one of those salads that you can serve as an accompaniment to just about any protein, or add thoughtfully chosen ingredients making it a delicious and complete main meal.
INGREDIENTS FOR FOUR as a side salad
4 x Roma Tomatoes
500gm small sweet potatoes
olive oil
salt & black pepper
50gm pepitas
1 x medium avocado
100gm baby spinach leaves
DRESSING
2Tbsp sherry or cider apple vinegar
3Tbsp olive oil
2Tbsp honey
small clove crushed garlic
good pinch salt and few grinds pepper
2Tbsp chopped parsley
COOKS NOTES:
- Pre-make a big batch of roasted tomatoes and use remainder in sandwiches, pasta or Mediterranean style rice dishes. You can also find my tasty Mexican Red Rice recipe which includes roasted tomatoes, on The Cooks Collective. Join today!
- Use Cecilia sun-dried tomatoes if not keen on making the roasted ones.
- If you came to my cooking class and you have the Butternut and Goats Cheese Ravioli recipe, try adding any leftover herb salsa to the dressing as I did (see photo).
- Want to make this salad into more of a main course? Try adding any of these to bulk it out and give you a balanced nutrient-dense meal.
- Shredded roasted chicken.
- Lamb chops or sliced warm roast lamb include fresh mint in the dressing.
- Crisp fried bacon.
- Slices of prosciutto or salami (or cut these into thin strips).
- Any of the Cecilia antipasto range or Kitchen2Kitchen marinated olives will also add loads of flavour.
- Cook freekeh and add while warm with crumbled feta.
- Fry Haloumi in cubes or flat slices until golden.
- Cook a poached egg and sit on top.
- Serve with warm crispy Baguette.
METHOD
- Roast Tomatoes. Turn oven to 160°C. Cut Romas in half top to tail. Toss in a large bowl with 1Tbsp olive oil and a few good pinches salt and grinds black pepper. Lay them cut side up on a non-stick paper lined baking tray and roast for 2½ to 3 hours, until shrunken and starting to caramelise around the edges, yet still juicy in the middle. Set aside.
- Turn oven to 220°C. Peel sweet potatoes or leave skin on. Cut into 1½cm thick batons with pointed ends if possible (these will caramelize nicely). Toss in a large bowl with 2Tbsp olive oil and a couple of grams of salt and few grinds black pepper. Lay the chips out in a single layer, on non-stick paper lined baking tray. Roast for about 25 minutes, until turning golden.
- Place pepitas on small baking tray and toast in oven for 5–7 minutes, until smelling toasty and starting to colour. Remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile make dressing. Place all ingredients in a screw top jar and shake well. Set aside.
- Remove sweet potato chips from oven. Cut avocado into 8 wedges. Build salad on a wide shallow platter, layering all components as per the photo. Just before serving drizzle with dressing.
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