Beetroot, sweet potato, orange and pecan salad

A delicious warm, colourful, orangey salad from Gaz Oakley (aka the Avant Garde Vegan). We’ve replaced walnuts with pecans due to an allergy and left out a handful of rocket but otherwise it’s pretty much as it is in Vegan 100, published by Quadrille. 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 beetroots, peeled
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 oranges, peeled and sliced
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 3 tbsp chopped chives
• 30g pecans, toasted

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• zest of ½ orange
• salt & pepper

DETAILS

• Cuisine: Vegan
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Cut the beetroot and sweet potato into evenly sized wedges. Transfer to the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Break up the fresh thyme stems and add to the tray. Bake for 25 minutes or until soft.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

One the potato and beetroot are cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Segment the oranges over a large serving bowl so that you catch the juice and add the orange pieces to the bowl along with the spinach, chives and pecans, followed by the potatoes and beetroot. Drizzle over a couple of tablespoons of dressing, mix carefully and serve.