Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

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2 pounds sweet potatoes

  • 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see notes above

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or Silk Chili, optional, see notes above

  • Fresh lime juice to taste, optional

FOR THE SALAD: 

  • ⅓ cup pine nuts or other nut: almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia, etc.

  • 5 ounces mixed greens, preferably a mix of sturdy greens like head lettuce with a smaller amount of Arugula or other tender greens

  • Flaky sea salt

  • Freshly cracked black pepper

  • 4 ounces cubed cheese such as Gruyere, Gouda, or Cheddar or crumbled goat cheese or feta

  • The best salad dressing in the world

Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. While the oven preheats, peel the potatoes, then dice them into ½-inch cubes, roughly. Place the diced cubes on a rimmed sheet pan. Toss them with the melted coconut oil or olive oil, salt (1.5 teaspoons unless you are sensitive to salt), and 1 to 2 teaspoons of Aleppo Pepper or Silk chili or to taste. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Check on the sweet potatoes to ensure they are browning evenly, stir them, then return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the sweet potatoes cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan. Using a spatula, release the sweet potatoes from the pan. Taste. Add more flaky sea salt to taste, and, if you wish, a squeeze of lime. 

Toast the nuts: Place the pine nuts in a small skillet set over low heat. Let the pine nuts toast slowly over this low heat while you prepare the rest of the salad. 

Assemble the salad: Place the greens in a large bowl. Season with a pinch of sea salt and toss gently to combine. Add the cheese. Add the roasted sweet potatoes to taste (1 to 1.5 cups), and the toasted pine nuts when they have fully toasted (I crank up the heat once everything is assembled). Season with pepper to taste.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Taste. The greens should be lightly dressed but should taste seasoned. Add salt, pepper, and more dressing to taste. Once the seasonings are right, serve immediately.