Eating colorful food cheers me up and makes me feel more alive. This sunshine salad does the job perfectly. Rainbow veggies and Moroccan spices, along with hearty chickpeas, make this a nourishing and satisfying salad for any time of year.
SERVES 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes
9 oz sweet potatoes, quartered (no need to peel)
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice)
10 to 15 cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 small bell peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
2 small red onions, sliced
a handful of fresh mint, chopped
a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
a small handful of chopped nuts (such as pistachios and hazelnuts), to serve
For the dressing
3 pitted dates, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes (save the water after)
7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp mustard
¾-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
½ tsp ground coriander
½ fresh chile, seeded and chopped
a pinch of ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sweet potatoes and chickpeas out on the lined sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and the ras el hanout. Toss to coat, then cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make the dressing, blitz all the ingredients in a blender with 3 tbsp of the date soaking water, until smooth. If you’d like the dressing a bit thinner, add a little more of the soaking water and blend again.
Put all the other salad ingredients (except the nuts) in a serving bowl and mix together.
Add the cooled sweet potatoes and chickpeas and fold in the dressing. Scatter with the chopped nuts to serve.