Sweet potatoes meet avocado and mint in this fresh arugula salad!

What better way to start off Spring than with a healthy and super green salad? I know what you are going to say. Yes, it’s still cold out there, around 30°F here today, but at least this salad is loaded with roasted sweet potatoes, which brings the well-needed carbs to defy the cold.

This salad comes together very quickly, the longest step is roasting the sweet potatoes, which takes approximately 25 minutes. First, sweet potatoes are tossed with olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano, and finally salt. Then they are roasted to perfection: until they become soft and golden brown. Seriously, roasted sweet potatoes are the best, especially when they are sweet and melty on the inside.

In the meantime, you prepare the dressing. I went with yogurt to keep the salad lighter and increase the creamy factor. Plus yogurt helps balance with the slight bitterness of the arugula. Now if you are not a fan of arugula, just go with baby spinach, massaged kale, or even lamb’s lettuce. Basically any green will work!

Back to the dressing, yogurt is flavored with freshly chopped mint, tahini, olive oil, rice vinegar for some tanginess, and minced garlic. I also added a teaspoon of maple syrup, once again to balance with the bitterness of the salad.

Now onto the add-ins. First, we have toasted pine nuts and sunflower seeds for some crunch, I always add nuts and/or seeds to salads, it’s an obsession. Then for a nice kick, we have red pepper flakes, cucumber for more freshness, and avocado for creaminess.

Garnish with a few mint leaves, drizzle with the yogurt dressing, toss and enjoy!

This green salad is healthy, refreshing, and hearty! It would go very well with these Sesame & Peanut Tempeh Skewers, Vegan Fried Goat Cheese Balls, or even this Crispy Tofu Sheet Pan!

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

Arugula & Sweet Potato Salad with Mint Yogurt Dressing

Delicious arugula salad with roasted sweet potato, avocado, pine nuts, and a creamy mint yogurt dressing. Easy, fresh, and healthy!

Author: Full of Plants
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 large (600g) sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 cups (about 100g) arugula (or baby spinach, kale, etc)
2 tbsp (16g) toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp (8g) sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 small (160g) avocado, sliced or cut into cubes
1/2 (60g) cucumber, sliced

Mint Yogurt Dressing

1/3 cup (78ml) non-dairy yogurt
1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (15g) tahini (or almond butter)
1 tbsp (15ml) white rice vinegar
1 tsp (5ml) maple syrup
1 clove of garlic, minced
4-5 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the sweet potato cubes with the olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano, and salt, toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and golden brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, toss to coat and set aside to cool.
In the meantime, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. If the dressing appears too thick, thin with a couple tablespoons of water.
To make the salad, divide the arugula into 4 serving bowls, or plate. Top with roasted sweet potato, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and red pepper flakes. Top with the avocado and cucumber slices, and drizzle with the mint yogurt dressing. Garnish with a few mint leaves. Toss to combine and coat the arugula with the dressing. If you prefer, you can also make the salad in one large bowl and then serve.
The salad is best fresh but will keep for up to 2 days covered in the refrigerator