Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad
Oh la la the contrasts in this dish: color, texture, sweet and spicy. Now here’s a potato salad I love!
Add the black beans and it’s robust and filling enough to be a main entree.
I serve it at room temperature. You can make it a day ahead. If so (the dressing gets absorbed over night), mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and toss again before serving.
It’s very popular at our summer dinner parties. I like to serve it with pork tenderloin (grilled or roasted), a quinoa pilaf and a green salad. Vegetarians/vegans can skip the pork and still have a well-balanced, delicious meal.
It also pairs well with grilled chicken.
Sweet potatoes are rich in cartenoids, orange, yellow or red-colored fat soluble compounds that protect plants from sun damage while they help them attract birds and bees for pollination. Cartenoids help protect us from free radicals, modulate our immune response, enhance cell-to-cell communication and play a major role in protecting the skin and eyes from damaging effects of ultraviolet light. Foods rich in cartenoids have been linked to a host of health-promoting and disease-fighting activities. They have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, including lung, colon, bladder, cervical, breast and skin.
Superfoods RX: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rosemary chopped fresh
- 1 tablespoon onion minced
- 1 tablespoon mustard Dijon
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled, cut in bite-size cubes
- 2 fresh poblano (or green bell) peppers seeded, diced
- 1/4 cup green onion cut diagonally
- 1/3 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1 15-oz can black bean (optional)
- For the dressing: Mix everything (vinegar, honey, water, rosemary, onion, mustard) except extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If organic, simply scrub the sweet potatoes. If not organic, peel sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potato into bite-size pieces and place in a pot with a steamer basket, cover and cook over medium heat for 6 - 8 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender. Run under cold water and drain.
- Cut poblano pepper in half, remove seeds and cut into bite size pieces. Place in a bowl, add cooled sweet potatoes, black beans (if using) and onion in large bowl and toss.
- Add parsley and drizzle dressing; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
