Persian Inspired Salad With Sweet Potato and Spinach

Chef Kate's Note:

From the blog “Sprouts in the Hood” and influenced by Najmieh Batmanglij's recipes, this salad is unusual, delicious and works as a main dish for 2 or as a salad course for 4. I roasted my sweet potato and used spring onions in place of the garlic stems. I also skipped the red pepper flakes and saffron, though I'm sure each would be a fine addition.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 sweet potato, sliced
• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup dill
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 3 tablespoons spearmint
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon ghee
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic, stems chopped
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 pinch saffron
• salt
• red pepper flakes
• yogurt (to garnish)
• pine nuts (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Microwave sweet potato until soft. Run cold water over potato, while peeling skin off. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, brown the onions and garlic in butter or ghee. Then add sweet potato, garbanzo beans, rose water, hot pepper flakes, turmeric, saffron and salt.
3. Let mixture cool then add dill, spearmint, parsley, garlic stems and spinach.
4. Dress with some lemon juice and olive oil.
5. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and pine nuts.

Reviews

[Elmotoo]

this is awesome! I microwaved then peeled & cubed my sweet potatoes. I didn't have garlic scapes, so i used the green ends of scallions. we nearly polished this off! delicious! made for veggie tag 7/11. thank you!

[Cookgirl]

I made many changes and took several detours with this recipe. Here's what was done: first the pine nuts were toasted and set aside. I tried roasting a sweet potato and when it was time to slice it the sweet potato started to fall apart. Took an orange-fleshed yam, removed the peeled, cut into 1/4" slices and browned on both sides in grapeseed oil on medium heat (no butter). Set aside to drain on paper towels. Salad: used both baby spinach and baby arugula leaves mixing in fresh mint from our garden . Next, garnished the beans on top, red onion. Dressing: In a glass measuring cup I whisked together the yogurt, garlic (could kick myself for not buying those garlic whistle/scapes last week!), dill, rose water, lemon juice, turmeric and saffron. The dressing was made about three hours in advance and that helped. Thinned the dressing with a small amount of milk. Spooned the yogurt dressing on top of the beans, scattered the pine nuts, lightly garnished with sweet paprika and a sprig of mint. A few red pepper flakes were drizzled on the sweet potatoes. I had to leave the parsley out because what I had on hand was not in good condition and our garden isn't producing parsley this year. Delicious. As I made it a definite five star recipe but if I make too many twists and turns with a recipe I won't star rate which in no way should be considered a negative review. Thanks, Kate! I had fun playing with this recipe. Reviewed for Veg Tag/June.

[UmmBinat]

3 1/2 stars. I expected the outcome to be tastier for the amount of work involved in preparation/ingredients. It looks pretty. I am the only one who ended up eating it. DH avoided it and DD1 (4 years old) just liked the sweet potato on it's own so she didn't touch it. I used baby spinach, less garbanzo beans, fresh dill, fresh flat leaf parsley, fresh mint (chopped all herbs), sweet (unsalted) butter, organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, green onion in place or the garlic stems, Iranian rose water, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Iranian saffron, sea salt, cayenne pepper powder in place of the red pepper flakes as that is what I had on hand, Balkan yogurt, Chinese pine nuts, plus the rest of the ingredients. I boiled the sweet potato whole in sea salted water then sliced and peeled. Made for Visiting Iran(Persia) in June 2012!