Quinoa-Sweet Potato Salad

Last week while finalizing a menu for a catering event, I came across this recipe.  It looked ridiculously simple. I was skeptical it would need some tweaking when I was finished, but I was wrong. I followed the recipe fairly closely, and I found it to be delicious.

Quinoa-Sweet Potato Salad
Serves 4
2½ cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain, or 1 cup raw
1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon and to taste
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
¼ cup minced red onion or shallot
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
¼ cup minced fresh chives and parsley leaves, minced

If you haven’t already, cook the quinoa (or other grain). Meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into ½-inch or smaller pieces.

The original recipe did call for the sweet potato to be steamed, but I love the taste of roasted vegetables. Just toss the diced potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, then bake in a 400° F. oven for 30 minutes on a cast iron pan or a sheet pan.

Toss together the sweet potato, quinoa, bell pepper, parsley, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning; garnish with chives and serve.