I know its winter right now, but I always have an appetite for a salad. They are so simple to put together, and as light or as filling as you want them to be….
This salad is a pretty hearty affair, containing one of my favourite vegetables, the super good-for-you, sweet potato. This orangey goodness, has so many nutritious benefits, it’s a no brainer for adding to any meal. I find if I’m eating light, but have worked out and need something more substantial, sweet potato fills me up without feeling too heavy in my stomach.
Chickpeas are considered a protein and a vegetable, so enable you to tick off two important food groups at once with their inclusion in this salad. Roasting them, as we do here, brings out their slight nuttiness too, which is so delicious. Alongside the chickpeas and sweet potato, red onion is also roasted, which adds a sensational sweetness and slight crunch. Adding varying textures to a salad is what takes it from being bland to sublime. Long gone are the days of warm, soggy lettuce with tomato and cucumber, the only limitations, as they say, are by your imagination!
For your salad dressing, you could simply add a drizzle of olive oil, or as I have made here, a simple honey and mustard dressing. This is sweet and tangy with a warm, earthy undertone from the mustard. Adjusting the proportions here to suit to your taste is easy. If you prefer it sweeter add more honey, or if like me you prefer it heavier on the acidity increase the vinegar.
All in all this is a delicious, substantial salad, with fabulous nutritional benefits.
Enjoy!
Sweet Potato, Chickpea & Prosciutto Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients
- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, chopped into 1cm cubes
- 2 Red Onions, peeled & cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 4 Slices Prosciutto, halved
- 400g Can Chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 100g Mixed Baby Leaves
Honey & Mustard Dressing
- 2 tsp. Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- White Wine Vinegar
- 75ml Olive Oil
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C Fan.
Add sweet potato and red onion to a bowl. Pour in the olive oil, season and mix together gently, taking care not to break up the onion wedges too much.
Place on a large baking sheet, or roasting tin, and roast for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, add the chickpeas and prosciutto to tray, return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until sweet potato is cooked through.
Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, make the salad dressing. Combine all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and give another quick whisk.
Arrange your salad leaves on a large serving dish, and add cooled sweet potato mixture on top. Drizzle with salad dressing, or serve this on the side separately. I like to add a scattering of crumbled, salty feta at this point (approx. 50g), but this is entirely optional!
Fiona Lyne - A lover of healthy living, interiors, fitness, fashion and food.