Seasonal Salad Gf Recipe
Arugula, sweet potato, asparagus, cucumber, feta, chile pumpkin seeds, tahini honey dijon vinaigrette
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Ingredients
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Salad
Toppings
Dressing
Method
Salad
- 1
Preheat and prepare vegetables
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). While oven heats, peel and cube the sweet potato into 1/2-inch pieces. Trim woody ends from asparagus and cut any very thick stalks in half lengthwise so they roast evenly. Thinly slice the cucumber and set aside. Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and keep refrigerated until assembly.
- 2
Toss and roast sweet potato
In a medium bowl, toss the cubed sweet potato with 1.5 tbs olive oil, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes, shaking or turning once halfway through, until edges are browned and centers are tender.
- 3
Roast asparagus
When the sweet potatoes have about 10 minutes left, toss asparagus with the remaining 0.5 tbs olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add asparagus to the baking sheet (or to a second sheet) and roast 8–10 minutes more until bright green and crisp-tender. Remove roasted vegetables from oven and let cool 5 minutes.
- 4
Prep for assembly
While the vegetables roast, pat the arugula dry if needed, and have the sliced cucumber ready. Let the roasted sweet potato and asparagus cool slightly so they don't wilt the greens when combined.
Toppings
- 5
Make chile pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 0.5 tbs olive oil, 0.5 tbs honey, 0.33 cups raw pepitas, 1 tsp chili powder, and 0.125 tsp salt. Stir constantly until the pepitas are toasted, the honey slightly caramelizes and the spices coat the seeds, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a small plate to cool (they will crisp as they cool).
- 6
Prepare feta
Crumble 0.75 cups feta into a small bowl and set aside.
Dressing
- 7
Whisk the tahini-honey dijon vinaigrette
In a bowl or jar, combine 3 tbs tahini, 2 tbs honey, 1 tbs Dijon mustard, 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Whisk (or shake in a jar) while gradually adding 3 tbs warm water until the dressing is smooth and pourable. Taste and adjust: add more water to thin, more lemon for brightness, or more salt/honey to balance.
Salad (Assembly)
- 8
Assemble the salad
Add the slightly cooled roasted sweet potato and asparagus to the bowl with arugula along with the sliced cucumber. Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad (reserve the rest to offer at the table). Toss gently to combine, taking care not to overwork the arugula.
- 9
Finish and serve
Scatter the crumbled feta and chile pumpkin seeds over the top. Drizzle more dressing as desired, finish with a grind of fresh black pepper and a light pinch of flaky salt if desired. Serve immediately with remaining dressing on the side.
