Meatless Monday: Beet and sweet potato salad

Refreshing spring greens, hearty root vegetables and flavourful homemade squash seeds make this salad a light but filling meal — perfect for your Meatless Monday!

Sweet potato and beet salad recipe

Recipe inspired by Coconut and Berries

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the salad

• 2 medium beets
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed (skin removed or not, depending on preference)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup homemade squash seeds (recipe below), or substitute with sunflower seeds
• 6 cups spring greens

For the dressing

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the beets on a sheet of aluminum foil, cover with 2 tablespoons of water, and wrap fully with the foil. Place on a large baking tray, and bake for 25 minutes.
3. In a bowl with the olive oil, rosemary, thyme and salt, place the sweet potatoes, and toss to combine.
4. When the beets are ready, remove them from the oven, slide them while still in the foil package to the side of the tray, and pour the sweet potatoes onto the remaining space. Make sure the potatoes are evenly spread out.

5. Return the tray to the oven for 20 minutes, flip the sweet potatoes, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked to your liking. Remove, and insert a fork into the beets to ensure they are tender — the fork should be able to reach the centre of the beet without too much resistance.
6. Let the beets cool fully before peeling and cubing.

7. Place all the dressing ingredients into a small, resealable container, and shake to combine.
8. In a bowl, combine the spring greens, sweet potatoes, beets and squash seeds. Drizzle with the dressing, and toss to combine.

Homemade squash seeds recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 acorn squashes (or roughly 1/4 cup raw seeds from any kind of squash, such as butternut squash, spaghetti squash, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the insides, and separate the gooey strings from the seeds.
3. Place the seeds in a strainer, and rinse thoroughly.
4. To a small bowl, transfer the seeds (it’s OK if they’re still wet from the rinsing), add the olive oil and salt, and stir to combine.
5. Lay the seeds flat on a baking tray.
6. Bake the seeds for 25 to 27 minutes or until lightly toasted. Stay near the oven, as the seeds might start to “pop” sooner. If you hear them beginning to pop, then remove them from the oven.
7. Let the seeds cool before adding them to the salad or transferring them to a resealable container to use as a future topping or snack.

Note: This is a great way to never let your squash seeds go to waste. The next time you’re baking acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash, be sure to save the seeds and to toast them up just like this. Then enjoy them as snacks, or toss them into salads like this one, as needed.

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