Spice-Roasted Sweet Potato with Goats Cheese, Dates and Pickled Shallots
A vibrant Middle Eastern–inspired salad of roasted sweet potato with sesame and cumin, chewy dates, tangy pickled shallots, and creamy goat’s cheese. Finished with a simple lime and date molasses dressing, it’s colourful, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for gatherings or weeknight dinners.
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Servings: 8
Cost: 25
Equipment
- 2 large baking trays lined with baking paper
- Small saucepan (for pickling shallots)
- Mixing bowls (1 large, 2 small)
- Measuring spoons and jug
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Whisk (for dressing)
- Serving platter
Ingredients
- 1 kg Sweet potato
- 2 tablespoons Black sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons Whole cumin seeds
- 40 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt flakes
- 10 Medjool dates
- 100 g Feta or goats cheeseCoriander
- 80 ml Red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 Red shallots, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons date molasses or use or pomegranate molasses)
- 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Toss the sweet potato wedges with the sesame seeds, cumin seeds and oil. Season with salt, thenplace the wedges on the prepared trays.
- Roast for 25 minutes or until the edges of the potato are golden and the flesh is soft.Roast the dates for 6 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool. They will crisp a littleupon cooling.
- For the Pickled Shallots: Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bringto the boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the shallots to the hot liquid. Leave to sitfor 1 hour before serving.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Arrange the sweet potato wedges on a platter. Crumble over the goat’s cheese or feta and top with theroasted dates and pickled red shallots.
- Drizzle with the dressing and serve topped with coriander.
Notes
Meal prep tip: This spice-roasted sweet potato salad is a perfect make-ahead side dish. The pickled shallots and lime dressing can be prepped up to 3 days in advance ideal for busy weeknights or Sunday meal planning.
Serving ideas: Serve as a vegetarian main, a holiday side dish, or over mixed greens for a nourishing roasted veggie salad. It also works beautifully as a Meatless Monday dinner.
Dairy-free swap: Replace the goat’s cheese with vegan feta or dairy-free yoghurt to turn this into a completely plant-based salad without losing the creamy contrast.
Roasting tip: For crispy sweet potato wedges, roast on a preheated baking tray and space them out well. Crowded trays lead to steaming, not crisping!
Storage advice: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Best enjoyed at room temperature for maximum flavour.