Autumn Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Pecans, and Bitter Greens
A warm fall salad of roasted sweet potato slices, toasted pecans and fluffy quinoa tossed with bitter greens in a maple dijon dressing. It eats well warm as a side and holds up fine chilled the next day.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 pound sweet potato, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ½ cup pecans
- ⅔ cup quinoa
- 3 cup bitter greens, minced
Maple Dijon Dressing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch sea salt, generous
Method
- Preheat your oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the sweet potato slices with the olive oil, cinnamon, cayenne, and sea salt and place them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until they are soft and starting to brown.
- Place the pecans on a small baking sheet and toast them in the oven along with the sweet potatoes for 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they will burn easily at this temperature if you leave them in longer.
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Usually 1:2 quinoa to water ratio and cooked for 12-15 minutes. When the quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork and set aside with the lid off.
- Make the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- When the sweet potatoes are cooked, mix them with the quinoa, pecans, and bitter green in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well.