Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Blah, blah, blah. Something about needing to eat a salad after all that food at Thanksgiving.

But, here’s the thing (aside from the fact that that kind of thinking is nonsense and harmful)...

I love a salad! I eat a salad virtually every day. Sometimes twice a day.

Because it doesn’t have to be about deprivation or denial. There’s nothing better than a big green salad loaded up with all sortsa stuff. An entire meal within a salad. Something roasty, something creamy, something salty, something sweet, something tangy. Ta-da! A meal within a salad, a salad as a meal! Amen.

This Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette is the perfect way to close out autumn and keep the winter chill at bay. Golden brown sweet potatoes, fresh pears, creamy goat cheese, and salty prosciutto paired with spiced nuts are delightful elements on a bed of mixed greens and spicy arugula. This salad can be served as the entire meal, or as a delicious side amongst a larger entrée.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 – 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 – 25 minutes
• Yields: 2 large entrée sized salads

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
• 1 box Spring mix salad blend, such as Taylor Farms Organics
• 1 box arugula greens, such as Taylor Farms Organics
• 4 slices prosciutto, torn into pieces
• 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled and divided
• 1 pear, sliced thin
• ½ cup winter spice candied nuts
• 1 batch Apple Cider Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the cubed sweet potato in olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour onto baking tray and roast in preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender with crispy edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Layer salad greens, arugula, prosciutto, goat cheese, pear slices and mixed nuts evenly amongst two large salad plates or bowls. Top with sweet potatoes and drizzle with cider dressing and a sprinkling of salt before serving.

For the dressing:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 5 TBSP fresh apple cider
• 1 TBSP white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. stone ground mustard
• 1 TBSP minced shallot
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground allspice
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary before drizzling desired amount over salad.