Maple sweet potato salad with whipped tahini

Channelling my inner Yotam Ottolenghi – maple-roasted sweet potato on a fluffy cloud of whipped tahini, topped with crispy spiced chickpeas and a shower of chopped pistachios. This is the sweet potato version of the roasted carrots recipe I shared last year. Ridiculously good!

Maple roasted sweet potato salad with whipped tahini

I’m a shameless Yotam Ottolenghi tragic. He’s the reason I started seeing vegetables as more than just a nutritional checkbox – he actually made me want to make them and let them take centre stage. I especially love the bold Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours in his early cookbooks, Jerusalem and Plenty.

To be honest, I find some of his recipes call for ingredients I struggle to find so I don’t make as many as I want, but I always come away inspired. Today’s dish is my Ottolenghi-esque creation: maple-roasted sweet potato with crispy chickpeas on a cloud of tahini enriched garlic yoghurt sauce, finished with spicy maple drizzle which keeps life interesting and a shower of pistachios.

Yes, it sounds like a lot (Ottolenghi, remember! 😃). But easy to make (it’s me, remember!).

The whipped tahini yogurt sauce

Also, though I’ve called the sauce a whipped tahini yogurt sauce which might conjure up visions of having to lug your stand mixer out – rest assured, that’s not the case. Just a handheld whisk is all you need. 🙂 You will be amazed how it transforms from a typical yogurt sauce texture into a billowy, whipped cream-like texture. It’s marvellous, and addictive, and you will understand why I have used this sauce multiple times previously, like in this recipe and this recipe.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this sweet potato salad.

1. Maple roasted sweet potato

You don’t need much maple syrup to roast sweet potatoes, just a light coating. In fact, if you use too much, it never caramelises, it makes the surface soggy.

• Sweet potato – Try to choose potatoes that are shaped like the above, around 6cm / 2.5″ wide, so you can just cut them into appropriate size wedges, as pictured. However, feel free to unleash the creative demon within and cut other shapes instead – like discs, thick half moons or even cubes (you rebel, you!).

• Maple syrup – I love the maple flavour in this dish but you can substitute with honey instead. (PS If you use artificial maple syrup rather than the real stuff, the maple flavour is mostly gone once cooked).

2. Whipped tahini YOGURT SAUCE

This is a simple yogurt sauce that is enriched with a bit of tahini, with a hint of garlic and balanced with tang from lemon, with a texture like whipped cream – hence the name. It’s the same sauce I use for my Middle Eastern style Sweet Potato Steaks and Green Beans with a Mountain of Panko (you’ll understand the odd name when you see the photos).

• Plain yoghurt – Not sweetened, and not flavoured. Regular yogurt or Greek yogurt.

• Tahini – Paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify which it is. Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from other recipes I’ve shared, like this one or this one!

• Lemon – The tang to balance the flavour.

• Garlic – Use a garlic crusher, or if you want a completely smooth sauce, finely grate it using a microplane.

3. CRISPY CHICKPEAS

Not essential – I’d absolutely make this recipe without – but definitely adds fabulous extra textural interest and pops of flavour. Plus, they cook in the oven at the same time as the sweet potato, so why wouldn’t you? 🙂

4. spicy maple sauce

Here’s what you need for the spicy maple sauce that is drizzled over the roasted sweet potatoes:

I know this sauce looks too simple to have enough flavour, but it does! Firstly, this sauce is just an accent rather than primary flavour. Secondly, sriracha is not made with just pureed chilli, it’s got other things in it as well – garlic, vinegar, salt, sugar.

Spice level – low mild. There’s only 1 tablespoon of sriracha across this whole dish, and the sweetness from the maple syrup also dials down the spiciness.

No spice option – Substitute the sriracha with equal parts ketchup and apple cider vinegar plus a small garlic clove finely grated.

5. FORGOT TO PHOTOGRAPH TOPPINGS!

Pistachios and coriander/cilantro for sprinkling. 🙂 Substitute parsley for the coriander, and as for the nuts, there are so many options! Pine nuts (extra excellent and on-theme with the Middle Eastern influence here!), almonds (chopped, flaked, slivered) would be my next choice, then hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans.

How to make this Sweet Potato Salad

This recipe has a nice flow to it because the sweet potatoes and chickpeas cook at the same time in the oven, and while they’re roasting you just make the sauces. Easy!

1. Toss sweet potato with oil, salt, pepper and maple syrup on a paper lined tray. The paper will stop maple syrup caramelised edges from sticking to the tray and ripping off the sweet potato (it’s so sad when that happens!).

2. Plain chickpeas – Drain the liquid out of the chickpea can then spread the chickpeas on a tray. No need to pat dry – where going to oven dry them instead. Easier, and more effective – the chickpeas come out crispier.

3. Oven together – Put the sweet potato on the top rack and chickpeas on the rack underneath set so it’s 20cm / 8″ apart (to allow the hot air to circulate). They will both take around 30 minutes.

   The oven temperature is fairly high – 220°C/450°F (200°C fan) – to encourage some colour on the sweet potato. If the oven temperature is lower, I find they just go from raw to soft and soggy.

4. Season chickpeas – After 10 minutes, take the chickpeas out. Now they’re nice and dry, which means crispier chickpeas! Push them to one end of the tray, toss with the oil and spices. Then bake for 20 minutes or until they are crispy – you can easily tell because they will clatter on the tray.

   The chickpeas will stay quite crispy for a good 15 to 20 minutes, so you can just leave them on the tray until you’re ready to use them.

5. Optional charring under grill/broiler – Roast the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes in total, turning at the halfway mark, until they are soft. By this time they will have a little colour on them, but if you’d like to char them like pictured for a little extra flavour and maple caramelisation, give them 5 minutes under the oven grill/broiler.

6. Spicy maple sauce – Mix this while the potatoes are in the oven. Literally just put everything in a small bowl and mix.

7. Whipped tahini yogurt sauce – This is a two step process – whisk the ingredients together in a microwave proof bowl (do this anytime ahead). Then within 5 minutes of serving, warm the mixture in the microwave for just 30 seconds and give it a vigorous whisk again. The sauce will transform from a typical yogurt sauce into a texture almost like softly whipped cream.

   Optional tahini drizzle sauce – Remove 1/4 cup of the whipped tahini and mix with around 2 tablespoons of water or until it has a drizzle-able consistency. This isn’t essential, it’s mostly for aesthetics.

8. Assemble – Bear with me, this step will seem overly instructive but the intention is to ensure you get a bit of everything with every piece of sweet potato scooped up. Nobody wants to be that person who ends up with a plain piece of sweet potato – how sad!

   So, here’s the order in which I build: spread a large flat plate with the tahini sauce then lay the sweet potato on top, mostly in a single layer. Drizzle with tahini sauce (if using), sprinkle with about 3/4 of the pistachios and coriander. Then pile or scatter the chickpeas on top, and sprinkle with the remaining pistachios and coriander. Then, serve!

How to serve this sweet potato salad

Serve this as a show-off side, a meat-free main, or part of what I call a “salad spread”, my go-to low-stress lunch option. It covers make-ahead ease with room temperature serving and the inevitable “I’m being healthy” friend, plus gluten-free and vegetarians.

To be clear, when I say “salads”, I am not talking about your everyday Garden Salad. I mean things like Pearl Couscous Salad, Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing, Sexy Lentil Salad (it’s name worthy!), Roast Pumpkin Feta Salad, Wild Rice Salad, Lentil Roasted Eggplant Salad, Yotam Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Salad and Honey-Cinnamon Pumpkin Salad – to name a few. Here’s a little preview:

Pearl Couscous Salad

Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing

Sexy Lentil Salad

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Wild Rice Salad

Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Salad

Honey-Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad

Nothing boring there!! 🙂

To find more, have a browse through the Vegetable and Salad index which is grouped by vegetable, a useful way to find substantial salads. Start with legumes, then head to pumpkin, sweet potato, cauliflower and other “meaty” / starchy vegetables.

Let me know if you get a chance to try this sweet potato recipe! Love to know what you think. – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Maple sweet potato salad – with whipped tahini and crispy chickpeas

Author: Nagi

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Side, vegetarian main

MIddle eastern vibes, Western

5 from 17 votes

Servings5 – 6 as a side, 3 – 4 as a main

Tap or hover to scale

Print

Recipe video above. Channelling my inner Yotam Ottolenghi – maple-roasted sweet potato on a fluffy cloud of whipped tahini, topped with crispy spiced chickpeas and a shower of chopped pistachios. Fabulous statement side or substantial meat-free main – try stuffing into flatbreads. Ridiculously good!

Ingredients

CupsMetric

Maple roasted sweet potato wedges:

• ▢ 1.5kg / 3 lb sweet potatoes , 3 x 6cm/2.5" wide, 20cm/8" long ideal – unpeeled, scrubbed clean (you an peel if you want) (Note 1)
• ▢ 1 tbsp maple syrup (or 2 1/2 tbsp honey)
• ▢ 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp black pepper

Crispy seasoned chickpeas:

• ▢ 400g/ 14 oz can chickpeas , drained but not dried
• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1/4 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp black pepper

Spicy maple sauce

• ▢ 3 tbsp maple syrup (sub 2 tbsp honey)
• ▢ 1 tbsp sriracha (Note 2)
• ▢ 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt)
• ▢ Pinch Black pepper

Whipped tahini yogurt sauce:

• ▢ 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt , full fat, unsweetened
• ▢ 3 tbsp tahini (mix well if oil is separated)
• ▢ 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ▢ 1 large garlic clove , finely grated
• ▢ 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Garnishes:

• ▢ 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves (sub parsley)
• ▢ 4 tbsp toasted pistachios , finely chopped (Note 3)

Cook ModePrevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/450°F (200°C fan). Arrange the oven racks so they are 20 cm/8" apart (for air circulation).
• Spicy maple sauce – Mix until combined. Set aside.
• Sweet potato – Cut each sweet potato lengthways into 6 wedges (or 8, if they are thicker potatoes). Put on a paper lined tray, then toss with the maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay sweet potato wedges on their side.
• Chickpeas – Drain the chickpeas then spread on a tray (still wet).
• Baking – Put both trays in the oven (sweet potato on the top shelf). Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes, turning them at the halfway mark. Take the chickpeas out after 10 minutes to flavour them.
• Crispy seasoned chickpeas – Remove the oven dried chickpeas from the oven after 10 minutes (Note 4). Push them to one side of the tray, drizzle/sprinkle and toss with the oil, spices, salt and pepper. Toss well using a rubber spatula, then return to the oven for a further 15 – 20 minutes until they're crispy (they will clatter! Note 4).
• Sweet potato charring (optional) – After 30 minutes (or when the potatoes are soft), switch the oven grill/broiler to high. Tuck in or fold down excess paper around the tray edges (so it doesn't touch heat element and catch fire). Stand the wedges sharp edge facing up, then pop it under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until a bit charred on the edges.

  ⚠️ SAFETY NOTE: Do not walk away, make sure the paper does not catch fire.
• Whipped tahini yogurt sauce – While the potatoes are roasting whisk ingredients in a heat-proof bowl just to combine. When ready to use, microwave for just 30 seconds on high, then whisk again for 10 seconds – it will resemble softly whipped cream. (Note 5)
• Optional tahini drizzle – Remove 1/4 cup of the tahini sauce and loosen with a little water to a drizzle-able consistency.
• Assemble – Spread the whipped tahini on a large plate. Pile the sweet potato on, mostly in a single layer. Drizzle with the tahini drizzle (if using), the spicy maple sauce, sprinkle with most of the pistachio and coriander. Sprinkle over chickpeas, then sprinkle with the remaining coriander and pistachios. EAT!

  (PS Great served warm or at room temperature)

Recipe Notes:

1. Sweet potato – Try to get even shaped ones from which you can cut nice wedge shapes. Though, no one will be arrested if you cut the potato into different shapes – try thick medallions or half moons.

No need to peel! I only peeled the ones in the video because they were blemished so I used the peeler to remove those bruised parts of the flesh. 

2. Sriracha – The spicy maple sauce has a warm hum from the sriracha, but there’s only 1 tablespoon of sriracha which is used across the whole dish, so it’s not very much. If you want no spice at all, substitute the sriracha with equal parts ketchup and apple cider vinegar plus small garlic clove finely grated.

3. Pistachios – Toast over medium heat in a dry skillet (no oil) until there are small golden patches. Remove, cool, chop. 

Other nuts – pine nuts (extra excellent!), almonds (chopped, flaked, slivered) would be my next choice, then any of hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans.

4. Roasted chickpeas should be crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. The initial 10 minute dry roasting will make these oven chickpeas crispier than the usual technique of air or towel drying then roasting, but the fact is they will never be as crispy as deep frying (and that’s ok, our hips are happy with this) and they don’t stay crispy for longer than 2 hours UNLESS you roast them for 45 minutes until they are rock hard all the way through (these are a little too hard to eat, in my opinion)

5. No microwave? Use a bain-marie set up. Put the bowl on a saucepan filled with 1″/2.5 cm of simmering water. Then whisk – as the mixture warms up slightly, it will transform into the whipped cream texture.

Leftovers will keep pretty well for a day, bring to room temp them eat (it’s a bit messy to separate yogurt from sweet potato to heat). Otherwise keep the components separate and heat the sweet potato. Oven chickpeas don’t stay crispy for longer than a couple of hours.

Make ahead – Terrific one! Roast and char sweet potatoes and leave out to cool to room temp (can be done day before but better to do on the day). Roast the chickpeas then when you need them, give them a 7 minute oven blast at 180C/350F to re-crisp (they soften as they cool). Mix whipped tahini ingredients but don’t do the microwave (can even fridge overnight). Then warm in microwave and whip just prior to assembling. Have pistachios and coriander chopped, ready to use, sauce mixed. Assemble on demand!

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings as a side.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 304cal (15%)Carbohydrates: 41g (14%)Protein: 8g (16%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 6mg (2%)Sodium: 632mg (27%)Potassium: 683mg (20%)Fiber: 8g (33%)Sugar: 20g (22%)Vitamin A: 20221IU (404%)Vitamin C: 14mg (17%)Calcium: 147mg (15%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Keywords: roasted sweet potatoes, sweet potato salad

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

Visit to the dentist today! Not sure why he’s licking his lips….

This is at the Sydney Pet Dentistry this morning with Dr Ran Duan. The condition of his teeth has declined rapidly since he had to stop eating bones due to his medical condition, and it’s gotten to a point that I’ve been advised to take him to a dentist to have it deal with.

Fingers crossed it’s not a major issue. More to come when I know!