Roasted Sweet Potato Peppered Pecan Spinach Salad

 

If you haven’t been eating many sweet potatoes, this salad is a good reason to start. The creation of my dear friend Regina Charboneau it is rich in flavor. The sweet potatoes and spinach make it nutritious too.

Created by on September 9, 2015

Ingredients

Creole Mustard Vinaigrette

  • 1 shallot
  • 3 rounded tablespoons creole mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Peppered Pecans

  • vegetable oil cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pound pecan halves

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Spinach Salad

  • 8 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

  1. Start by making the peppered pecans. Spray a large heavy roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside. Mix together black pepper, sugar & salt. In a separate bowl whisk the egg white until foamy, then add the Worcestershire Sauce. Drop in the pecans and stir to coat well. Pour coated pecans into a colander to drain off extra egg white mixture; return to the bowl and add the pepper mixture. Stir well to coat each pecan.
  2. Spread pecans onto the prepared sheet pan. Roast in pre-heated 375 degree F oven for 5 minutes and stir pecans; roast an additional 5 minutes and stir again. Turn off heat and roast pecans an additional 5 to 10 minutes until pecans are lightly browned.
  3. Remove the pecans from the oven and turn the heat up to 425 degrees F to get it ready for the sweet potatoes.
  4. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and spread over a large baking sheet. Roast 25 minutes until tender and a little caramelized.
  5. While the sweet potatoes are roasting make the salad dressing. In a blender, add peeled shallots, pulse to chop. Add mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and sugar. With blender on medium speed, slowly add oil to emulsify.
  6. Combine the spinach, sweet potatoes, 1 cup pecans and cranberries. Toss with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and serve.