Bright, refreshing, and jam-packed with tomato, zucchini, green beans—and of course, sweetpotatoes!—this salad is summer on a plate.
It’s perfect for lunch or a light dinner, but if you want to make it more substantial, you could serve it on top of a grain bowl or add some chicken, shrimp, or salmon. It’s also great as a flavorful side dish for a simple grilled steak or chop.
Sweetpotato Salad with Summer Vegetables and Fresh Herbs
Serves 4 as an entree or 6 as a side dish
Ingredients:
1 pound orange- or yellow/white-fleshed sweetpotatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces green beans, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch lengths
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
8 cups arugula leaves (about 4 ounces)
1 cup thinly shredded green or red cabbage
2 small or 1 large zucchini, green, gold, or a combination, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves, torn, divided
12 fresh mint leaves, torn, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh dill, divided
2 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the sweetpotatoes until almost tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sweetpotatoes to a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and add to the plate with the sweetpotatoes. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, shallot, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
When ready to serve, in a large bowl, combine the arugula, cabbage, and vinaigrette to taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste, then arrange the mixture on plates or a platter.
Use the same bowl to combine the sweetpotatoes, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, about half of the basil, about half of the mint, about half of the dill, and vinaigrette to taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste, then arrange on top of the arugula mixture.
Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds, remaining basil, remaining mint, and remaining dill and serve.
