Saturday, August 8, 2009

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad


Sweet potatoes are super nutritious and extremely versatile. We love baked sweet potato fries and whipped sweet potatoes with cinnamon and butter, but have you tried them cold? Liberty Market in Gilbert has this awesome sweet potato salad that I have been working to recreate. I feel I am close enough to call it just as good even if it is not quite the same. It is slightly smoky, salty and sweet with a little kick.

The flavors take a few hours to marry, so this is best to make a day or two ahead. I love having a bowl of it ready to serve up for a quick snack or a side with lunch. I think these sweet potatoes would even be great as a thanksgiving side instead of the ewwy gooey marshmallow kind. This would free up oven space for that nice free range turkey and yummy homemade butter rolls!

Chipotle peppers are spicy (they are smoked jalapeƱos), you can adjust it to your taste. One pepper is just enough to notice, but not at all overpowering. I get the peppers in a can and puree the whole thing, then freeze it in tablespoon portions since I never use a whole can at once and never use them whole, it is a convenient way to use them. 1 tablespoon is equal to about 1 pepper.

3 pounds sweet potatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, pureed
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (convection works best). Peel and cut potatoes into 1” pieces. Toss to coat with 2 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on two baking sheets. Roast for 35 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons oil, pepper puree, vinegar, salt and pepper to make a dressing. Combine cranberries, pecans, chives and cooked sweet potatoes in a medium bowl, drizzle with dressing, cover and refrigerate until chilled.

How do you like your sweet potatoes?

19 comments:

  1. This sounds like a great way to use sweet potatoes!

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  2. I love this salad at Liberty Market. My mom and I have been trying to figure out the recipe for the last year or so. I am happy you figured it out for us! I love to make mashed sweet potatoes with honey, butter, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Not supper nutritious, but honey really makes the sweet potatoes extra delicious!

    Starleen

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  3. Thanks! Also my favorite at Liberty Market. Can't wait to make it tonight!

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  4. Delightful! Loved it. I will try this one out soon! I love to add sweet potatoes to my roaster...so simple and good.

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  5. I made it and it was almost just like Liberty market! I loved it! Thanks for creating this for me!

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  6. We just finished our salad for tonight's dinner. It looks and smells incredible! We are eager to eat it up!! Thanks for this gem of a blog and all the work you put in to it and clearly, your family!! Blessings!

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  7. Hi Kara. I am new to your blog. My sister sent it to me because she knew I would love it. I just made this recipe two days ago, and I'm having a bit of trouble. When I first made it I tried some of the warm potatoes, nuts, fruit and chives with the dressing and it was delightful. Then I put it in the fridge for a day to let the flavors marry, and when it came out the potatoes were all soggy and kind of shriveled. Do you have any ideas about what I did wrong? I was thinking maybe I overcooked the potatoes.

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  8. The potatoes are defiantly quite--moist (soggy sounds so derogatory). Shriveling could be from over cooking or using old sweet potatoes. You will know they are old when you cut them open and they a bit spongy, or really old when they have air pockets.

    If you are ever in the Gilbert area, you can stop in a try it at Liberty Market. Maybe you will find they are supposed to be that way. The first time I had it, I was a bit startled because I expected it to be warm. Once you get used to the idea of cold sweet potatoes, you find tons of new uses for them, like on salads and sandwiches!

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  9. Thanks for the advice, Kara. I will try it again and cook the potatoes for a shorter time to see if it decreases the shriveling.

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  10. my favorite sweet potatoes are your thanksgiving ones!!
    hands down. most people are afraid of quinoa, but when they try these, its a lovely introduction.
    you should post that recipe---its awesome.

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  11. Definitely posting that in November! Thanks.

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  12. good points and the details are more precise than elsewhere, thanks.

    - Murk

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  13. Sorry for my bad english. I would like to get updated with you new posts as I love to read your blog. Add me to your mailing list if you have any.

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  14. I know this is an old post, but maybe you'll still get this comment.

    Do you have a sense of how many this recipe serves?

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  15. I love this salad too...I'm going to try it with a chili lime dressing, just for fun.

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  16. Thanks for the recipe. I kept staring at the menu trying to come up with a recipe on my own. But, your recipe saved the day.

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  17. Thanks for sharing! I haven't tried it yet but had a leftover sweet potato, and wondered how it could make it taste like the salad at Liberty Market -- can't wait to try!

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  18. Found you via Pinterest. This has become a weekly meal in our house. thanks for the recipe.

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It's rude to eat and run. Humor me with conversation please!