Recipe Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad

Recipe Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad

As part of our “going back to school” theme this month we want to share our recipe for our Moroccan sweet potato salad. Sweet potato is a wonderful alternative to the standard potato and contains many more health benefits. We love using them in our plant-based meals here at La Crisalida Retreats. They are available in most countries all year round and there are different types, with different colour skins and flesh. We love the bright orange variety. You can cook them in the same way as a standard potato: boil, steam, roast (whole or in chunks) and some people even use them in a juice. You can serve as mash, chunks, wedges or fries (roasting brings out a delightful sweetness), and they make a great base for creamy dips.

Include sweet potatoes as part of your diet a few times each week, to help support your detox and weightloss or simply for great nutrition. Sweet potatoes are a great source of Vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) – one cup of sweet potato (particularly the orange version) contains double the suggested daily amount your body requires. They are also a great source of vitamin C. Beta carotene is also found in carrots. Beta carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A, which in turns maintains a healthy immune system, keeps our skin and nails in great form and also keeps our eyes in good health. Great support for all that studying! By including fat (like olive oil) when you eat sweet potato your body will use the beta-carotene more effectively.

Recipe: Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad

This recipe serves 8. The total calories (including the dressing) are 1152, which is 144 per serving

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
Large handful fresh coriander, chopped

Dressing
2 dates, soaked in hot water (reserve the water after use).
2cm ginger, finely chopped or grated
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp homemade mustard (or use Dijon or wholegrain)
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
Touch cayenne pepper
½ tsp cinnamon

Method

  1. Cook the sweet potato in boiling water for 15 -20 minutes, until it becomes soft, but does not break apart. Drain and then rinse in cold water until the sweet potato is cold.
  2. Cook the carrots in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, until soft. Drain and rinse under cold water until the carrots are cold.
  3. Make the dressing. Drain the dates (keep the water in which the dates have been soaking, in case you need it later). Place the dressing ingredients (dates, ginger, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, ground coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper and cinnamon) into a food processor and blend until all of the ingredients are combined. If you need to make the dressing runnier, add some of the water that you saved from soaking the dates.
  4. Place the sweet potatoes, carrot and fresh coriander into a bowl. Pour over the date vinaigrette and stir gently until all of the sweet potato and carrots are coated. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Find more recipes on our blog page or read more about food at La Crisalida Retreats here.

About the author

Lisa
Lisa
Lisa is one of the founders of La Crisalida Retreats. She is an Epidemiologist, therapeutic hatha and yin yoga teacher and also teaches mindfulness meditation. Lisa has studied NLP and hypnosis, as well as nutrition (she designs the menus).