Roasted sweet potato salad with mozzarella and balsamic dressing

Sweet potato is a staple food in our house. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for most households here in Vienna. So I really have to hunt for these golden treasures. Luckily I have one supermarket within walking distance that always has sweet potato in stock, and I can also find it at a local food market.

Last year, we held an 'Aussie BBQ' in Vienna for some family members, and we served roasted sweet potato and pumpkin as a part of the menu. Most of our guests have never eaten either sweet potato or pumpkin, which I found quite amusing. It was nice to introduce these 'new' foods to our family.

Today was definitely BBQ weather, another hot day, and we spent the day at our local pool, with most of the population of Vienna!

I think this salad is light enough for hot weather, but it is also filling. You could serve this salad by itself for a light lunch or dinner, or as a side salad. We ate it with pan-fried salmon fillet and green cous cous.

What you'll need

Serves 2 - 4 people as a side salad.

Salad

2 medium sweet potato, cubed into approximately 5 cm cubes.
200g mozzarella, sliced thinly
4 - 6 cherry tomatoes or small truss tomatoes
2 cups salad greens - I used lamb's lettuce
1 tbs vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Dressing

4tbs olive oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

What to do

Heat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Place the cubed sweet potato on a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Sprinkle over vegetable oil and salt and pepper. Mix to coat well. Place in oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes until soft and caramelised.

After the sweet potato has been cooking for 25 minutes, add the tomatoes to the baking tray. The tomatoes should only take 10 - 15 minutes to 'collapse'  so they are soft and sweet. The sweet potato and tomatoes should be finished cooking at the same time. Remove the baking tray from the oven and cool to room temperate before serving.

Make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a jar with a lid. Shake well and set aside. 

Make the salad. Serve this salad on a platter, rather than in a bowl. Place the salad greens on the platter. Scatter over the sweet potato, then the mozzarella slices, then the roasted tomatoes. Drizzle over the dressing and serve immediately.