Sweet Potato and Beetroot Salad with Avocado

The salad that celebrates everything lush about spring

Every spring I find myself at the supermarket picking up whatever’s looking fresh and cheap, not sure what’s going to come of it. This salad is the sweet result of what happened when beetroot, kumara, asparagus, oranges and avocado all landed in the trolley on the same day. Roast the root veges until they’re sweet and caramelised, steam the asparagus so it stays crisp, slice in the juicy orange, and finish with avocado instead of the usual feta that’s often paired with beet salads. It’s the kind of plate that makes eating seasonally feel effortless whilst still tasting to notch.

Beets are an incredible source of nitrates, making them brilliant for supporting our cardiovascular and heart health. Sweet potato (cor kumara in New Zealand) provide beta-carotene which converts to vitamin A to keep our peepers clear. Oranges add a juicy infusion of vitamin C. While walnuts layer in omega 3s, which are typically deficient in our western diets. So not only does this sweet potato and beet salad look like a rainbow, it’s a symphony for our cells too!

As a Registered Nutritionist and Naturopath, I love this salad because it’s naturally dairy free without having to rely on any artificial dairy-free substitutes. And it also takes advantage of seasonal spring produce while its at its best.

This salad celebrates all things roasted beetroot. If you love beets but want to try them raw instead, try this Be Good Organics cult-classic Raw Beetroot Salad.

How to make this sweet potato and beetroot salad

What you’ll need

• Kumara. New Zealand’s version of the quintessential sweet potato comes in lots of different varieties. I’ve chosen orange kumara for this recipe as they’re soft, sweet and tender, so provide a nice contrast with the firmer beetroot once roasted.
• Asparagus. Prepare for the bathroom to smell a little peculiar after this salad, but otherwise how good is asparagus! If they’re not in season, then green beans, steamed broccolini, or even regular broccoli work brilliantly in its place. Opt for the slimmest spears you can find – they’ll cook up the most tender.
• Oranges. Yes we’re adding a fruit to our salad – game changer! If you haven’t tried this yet, you’ll love the contrast of sweetness it brings.
• Avocados. Regular hass avocado is what I’ve used here, as it has a slightly firmer texture than its softer and rarer cousin Reed. Avocado gives the same creamy contrast you normally get from the feta in a roast beet and feta salad, and they’re conveniently in season at the same time as oranges and asparagus. But if you want to go OG, crumbled feta also tastes great too.
• Walnuts. Typically you’ll only find raw walnuts from the store, which means they’ll need a light roasting for 15 minutes at 180°C to reduce the bitter phytate outer layer and bring out their sweet creaminess. I also love dehydrating them like I’ve done in this nut butter, which also reduces the bitterness but retains even more omegas and vitamin E than roasting. If you can’t find walnuts, pecans or almonds also taste great here being sturdier nuts.

Step-by-step: sweet potato and beetroot salad

Kitchen notes

• Roastest with the mostest. As a recipe creator, roasting your vege is an absolute must in this recipe, and one of the best ways you can enjoy sweet potato, beetroot, red onion, and garlic. Roasting brings sweetness and tenderness to these veggies, while retaining a crispy outer – giving that perfect crunch at first bite, then tenderness inside. Rather like a good man… PS nestles your beets in a bit of tinfoil if you don’t want them bleeding into your sweet potato.

Serving & storage

This one’s substantial enough to eat as a meal on its own. But you can also top it with a handful of smoked chicken, pan-fried tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas, if you’re in your muscle mommy era and want to bump up protein.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3 days if you keep the roasties and dressing separate, with the avocado best added fresh at each serving. This means it makes a brilliant make-ahead meal prep idea for your weekday lunches.

Love a good hearty salad like this one, that’s not just lettuce? Try my Italian Broccoli Salad next. Or browse the rest of BGO’s salad collection and pick something that takes your fancy.

V GF SF

Sweet Potato and Beetroot Salad with Avocado

Sweet roast beetroot and kumara meet crisp asparagus and juicy orange, with slices of creamy avocado standing in for the regular feta. A scattering of walnuts add crunch, and a zingy balsamic dressing ties it all together. It's all things light and springy on a single plate!

AuthorBuffy Ellen Gill

Servings 4

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 8 c mesclun
• 3 beets
• 2 large kumara
• 2 red onion
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 oranges
• 2 avocados

Balsamic dressing

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp brown rice syrup (or maple syrup)
• ¼ tsp sea salt

To top

• ½ c walnuts, lightly toasted or activated

Instructions

• Dice the kumura, red onion, and beetroot. Lay on a tray with the garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Wrap the beetroot in foil to stop it from drying out. 
• Roast the veges on 200°C for 20 minutes. Remove the kumura, onion and garlic and let the beets roast for a futher 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, steam the asparagus until softened. Cut the oranges and avocados into thin slices.
• Squeeze the garlic out of its cloves into a small bowl, then add the remaining dressing ingredients. Whisk with a fork until combined.
• Layer salad, starting with the mesclun. Then add the roast vege, asparagus, orange slices and avocado. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of dressing per serve, and top with 2 tablespoons each of walnuts. 

Recipe Notes

• Feta option. This salad uses avocado as the creamy component, but also tastes incredible topped with crumbled feta if you include dairy in your diet.
• Storage. Keeps 3 days in the fridge when the roast vege are kept separate to the mesclun, just layer on the avocado fresh each time you serve.

Nutrition Disclaimer

As a Registered Naturopath and Nutritionist, I create nutritionally-balanced recipes using whole food ingredients designed to support optimal health and wellbeing. While I encourage an intuitive approach to eating, I also recognise the value of understanding calories and macronutrients as tools to build awareness around your intake. This awareness can be helpful in aligning your nutrition with your personal health goals.

Please note: all nutritional information provided is an estimate only. Variations will occur depending on the specific brands used, recipe adjustments, and portion sizes consumed. If you have individual dietary needs or health conditions, I recommend booking a personalised consultation for tailored advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 620kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 10gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gSodium: 581mgPotassium: 1510mgFiber: 16gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 17289IUVitamin C: 76mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 3mg

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