Sweet potato and halloumi is one of my favourite flavour mashups, especially in a big green salad like this one. The base is a mix of kale and romaine, topped with green apple, cilantro and tortilla chips for extra crunch. The whole thing is drenched in a creamy chipotle dressing that’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. It’s giving burrito bowl, with a little more excitement.
Equipment
Here’s everything you need to make this roasted sweet potato and halloumi salad at home:
- cutting board
- chef’s knife
- salad spinner
- baking sheet
- hand blender
Cooking Tips
- Looking for a little more protein? Add some black beans or chickpeas!
- Halloumi is usually grilled, but here we’re taking advantage of the warm oven by adding it to the sweet potato tray. This method is effective and also helps cut down on the number of dishes being used. To avoid the halloumi from drying out, drizzle a little olive oil before baking and keep an eye on it during the last 5 minutes of cook time. Pull it out before the sweet potato, if you notice it’s puffing up and turning brown all over. We want spotted browning and a slight crispiness, but not a crispy, puffed brown cube. Sorry, I don’t know how else to describe that, haha!
- Not a fan of cilantro? Try adding some sliced red onion instead. Better yet, give the sliced red onion a quick pickle of lime juice, honey, salt and vinegar for more depth of flavour and less harshness.
Roasted Sweet Potato and Halloumi Salad
2-4
servings35
minutesIngredients
2 small sweet potatoes
250g halloumi
1 batch chipotle-lime dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 romaine heart
1/2 bunch of cavelo nero (also known as dino kale), about 4 cups chopped
1 green apple
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3-4 handfuls of tortilla chips
salt (I'm using Diamond Crystal Kosher)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Peel and dice 2 small sweet potatoes. Transfer to the baking sheet and cover in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp salt. Toss to coat and spread out onto the tray.
Slice your halloumi into 1-2cm thick planks. Make room on one side of the tray and place the halloumi planks beside the diced sweet potato. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and use your hands to rub it into both sides.
Transfer the tray to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is completely soft and the halloumi has brown spots all over. Keep an eye on the halloumi in the last 5 minutes of cook time. If it looks puffy, or is starting to develop a brown crust all over, remove and set aside while the potato finishes roasting.
While that bakes, make your chipotle-lime dressing. Then prep the remaining toppings. Chop, wash and dry 1/2 bunch of kale and 1 romaine heart. Dice 1 green apple and chop enough cilantro to fill 1/3 cup. Set aside until ready to assemble. Cover the apple with a little lime or lemon juice to prevent browning.
Remove tray from the oven and let the sweet potato cool while you cut the halloumi into bite-sized squares. When both are cool to the touch you can put it all together!
To assemble, add a few table spoons of the dressing to the bottom of a large bowl. Add the kale, romaine, sweet potato, halloumi, apple and cilantro. Toss to mix, adding more dressing as you go until everything is lightly coated. Finish with crushed tortilla chips and enjoy!
Tag me @stefsdinnerdate on Instagram and TikTok if you make it! I love seeing your creations.
And let me know how the recipe worked for you in the comment section below. It’s always nice hearing from you 🙂