The combination of ingredients in this salad is magical! Golden caramelised sweet potato that's juicy inside, fresh peppery rocket / arugula, warm soft crunch of pecans, creamy saltiness from goats cheese (or Danish feta), BACON and a drizzle of Honey Lemon Dressing. The dressing is not too sweet - just enough honey to cut through the sharpness of the lemon. Worthy of a meal or a place at a festive gathering!
100 g / 3.5 oz rocket salad / arugula(~3 handfuls)
1/2 cup (70g / 5 oz)pecans
1tspoil
100 g / 3.5 oz bacon, chopped (I used lean)
60 g / 2 oz Goats Cheese or Danish feta(Note 1)
Honey Lemon Dressing
1tbsphoney
2tbsplemon juice, fresh
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1/2tspDijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 220C / 430F.
Cut sweet potato into 1.5cm / 3/5" thick slices. Cut the larger rounds in half (into semi circles).
Place in a bowl, drizzle over oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Pour onto baking tray.
Roast for 20 minutes, then use an egg flip to turn and roast for a further 10 minutes or until golden.
Meanwhile, place Dressing ingredients in a jar, mix with a teaspoon (to get honey off the base) then shake well until combined.
Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium high heat for 3 minutes, or until they smell nutty.
Remove pecans, then heat 1 tsp oil. Add bacon and cook until golden.
To assemble, place everything in a bowl, reserving some bacon, pecans and goats cheese for garnish. Drizzle with most of the dressing, then toss gently.
Transfer into a serving bowl, garnish with remaining bacon, pecans and goats cheese. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve!
Notes
1. I like using Goats Cheese and Danish feta (the soft creamy feta, rather than hard like Greek feta) for this salad. They are creamy and soft, yet can be crumbled. Blue cheese would also work well with this salad, or any other cheese of choice that can be crumbled but is creamy when you bite into it.2. My tips for roasting sweet potato so they are beautifully caramelised and not soggy on the outside: Don't use too much oil (really!) and roast in a hot oven!3. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings.