Roast Sweet Potato With Marmalade Dressing Salad Recipe

Of course, nowadays, I have to find substitutions for the cheese/egg/pork pie elements of those 1980s salads. I still need carbs in a salad. If you were to slice me like a stick of rock, I would be marked through to the core with "powered by carbs". "If you prick me, do I not bleed carbs?" etc.

And so, during those sweltering summer months where you only want light foods, but you still want to feel satisfied, I like to mix things up a little bit by sautéing cubes of sweet potatoes (or you can certainly roast them), and then add some interest to the flavours with a sweet and tart marmalade dressing.

I also add segments of fresh orange, some toasted pumpkin seeds, and, if I can find it, vegan Greek-style feta cheese. What I love about this salad is how gentle it is, how forgiving of substitutions or alterations or omissions. The marmalade dressing seems to love all salad type ingredients, and everything hangs deliciously from that sticky citrus coating.

Really easy! Simply peel the sweet potato, cut into cubes about the size of a dice, and fry in a little olive oil. I like to add seasoning in addition to salt and pepper, like some paprika, or cumin. They're really good drizzled with a little maple syrup too, to bring out the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes!

If you prefer, feel free to bake the in the oven, about 180c until tender. Spray them with a little spray oil first, and add a little seasoning.

• Butternut Squash instead of Sweet Potato
• Vegan Goats or Feta-style Cheese sprinkled over
• Normal Orange instead of Blood Orange
• Croutons instead of Pumpkin Seeds (you need to add a little crunch!)
• Use your own favourite salad dressing
• Use whichever marmalade brand you like, whether it has peel or is smooth, reduced sugar, or extra tangy! I love any from the Wilkins Tiptree range!

More amazing vegan salad inspiration:

• Simple Caprese Salad
• Sourdough and Roasted Plum Salad
• Simple One-Step Mayo