Purple Sweet Potato Salad

this purple sweet potato salad satisfies your carb-y, mediterranean cravings while also making sure you get your greens in. 

i demean potatoes every day. one of my friends and i use the term “potato” to denote how little lazy we are, or how casual our clothes look in particular instances, or how bad my phone is as a camera. i’m not alone though: the very reputable urban dictionary has a similar definition of potato. 

why are we so derogatory towards potatoes? and not that going out isn’t fun (i dressed up as an 80s jazzercise lady for halloween, and inhaled some chicken curry and smoked eggplant at supergood kitchen, a yuzu cocktail at miniboss, 2 sips of an amf at some dive bar, and a brandy/vermouth/lavender drink and wings at paper plane, with half a quesadilla from la vic’s for dessert), but i could probably stand to be more potato-like these days. my wallet, my stomach and my sleep schedule don’t like me much when i’m having a good time.

besides, souvla in sf serves a purple sweet potato salad, and it's anything but potato-y. there's tangy pickled red onion, crunchy toasted walnuts, briny feta and kalamatas.

i like using a mix of kale and arugula, so it's not all dense kale or bitter arugula but instead a balance. the creamy, garlicky dressing is delicious (as are the rest of the toppings), though the stars are the purple sweet potatoes.

they're almost chestnut-like in flavor, much less starchy than a normal sweet potato, and get sweeter in the oven. did i mention that they're also delicious when made into sweet potato haupia pie bars?!

happy lunching!

4 from 3 votes

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Purple Sweet Potato Salad

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

This purple sweet potato salad has some delicious za'atar roasted chestnutty potatoes, but the rest of the salad (with pickled red onions, walnuts, olives, marinated kale) is no slouch either.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion, Mediterranean

Keyword: arugula, cheese, cumin, feta, garlic, greens, hazelnuts, herbs, kalamata olives, kale, olives, oregano, pasta salad, pickled red onion, purple sweet potatoes, quick pickles, red onion, sweet potatoes, tahini, vegetables, vegetarian, walnuts, yogurt, za'atar

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 664 kcal

Ingredients

Quick-Pickled Red Onions

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup water
• ½ red onion thinly sliced

Za’atar Roasted Purple Sweet Potato

• 4 medium Japanese purple sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Garlic Tahini Yogurt Dressing

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup Greek yogurt room temperature
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Assembly

• 4 cups mixed greens
• ½ cup kalamata olives chopped
• ½ cup toasted walnuts chopped
• ½ cup crumbled feta

Instructions

Quick-Pickled Red Onions

1. Whisk vinegar, sugar, salt and water in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onion in a jar; pour vinegar mixture over. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Za’atar Roasted Purple Sweet Potato

1. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with olive oil and salt.
2. Roast at 450F for 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. While the potatoes are still hot, toss with the spices. Cool slightly.

Garlic Tahini Yogurt Dressing

1. Whisk everything, seasoning with salt and pepper to coat.

Assembly

1. If you’re using hearty greens (ie kale), toss the dressing with the kale and let marinate for 30-45 minutes. Right before you’re ready to assemble, toss in delicate greens (ie spinach, arugula, romaine).
2. Divide the greens among 4 bowls. Top with the sweet potatoes, pickled red onions, olives, walnuts and feta.

Recipe Notes

Inspired by Souvla, recipe adapted slightly from Making Thyme for Health.

other tasty salads besides this purple sweet potato salad

seared mushroom salad