Meatless Monday–Spinach Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Maple Vinaigrette

I’m a big fans of salad for dinner.  During the summer, we probably have salads twice a week.  Early fall in Phoenix is still warmer than most people’s summer temperatures, so our dinner salads stretch well into October.  The warm weather has us wanting lighter meals, but we both love traditional fall flavors so much it’s often difficult to hold out for truly cool weather.

Thankfully, Shawnda posted this wonderful recipe for grilled sweet potatoes on her blog.  The foodie wheels in my head started turning immediately and, before I knew it, a sweet potato side dish had become a sweet potato dinner salad.  And it. was, good.  So good, in fact, that I happily had a smaller version of the salad the following two days for lunch.

Spinach Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Maple Vinaigrette

adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients:

For the sweet potatoes:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-in. thick rounds

2 TBSP olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

For the vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, minced

2 TBSP Dijon mustard

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

2 TBSP maple syrup

6 TBSP olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste 

For the salad:

8 c. spinach

4 oz. goat cheese (I found peppadew goat cheese, which was delicious)

1/3 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions:

1.  Preheat an outdoor grill or cast iron grill pan to medium. 

2.  To prepare the potatoes, toss potato rounds with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill 7-10 minutes on each side, until the potato is lightly grilled and fork-tender.

3.  Menwhile, make the dressing by whisking together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, and maple syrup.  Continue whisking and slowly stream in the olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

4.  To assemble to salad, divide spinach among four plates.  Top with sweet potato rounds, goat cheese, cranberries, and pepitas.  Drizzle with dressing a serve immediately.

one year ago: sauteed cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and olives

three years ago: black bean soup with cumin crema