Blissful Sweet Potato Salad

 Combination of this and this

Yield 10 as a side

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5-pounds sweet potatoes 
• 3 medium (6 ounces) shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled
• 12 ounces kale or spinach leaves, torn or chopped into bit-sized pieces
• 4.5 tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1.5 teaspoons smooth dijon mustard
• 1.5 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed
• 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
• 3/4 cup toasted, salted pepitas (optional)

Method

Prepare the sweet potatoes and shallots: Heat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, and then into 1/4-inch half-moon slices. Drizzle or brush parchment lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the oil with salt and pepper. Arrange sweet potato slices in one layer on parchment. Coat lightly with more oil, salt, and pepper.

Place shallot halves on a square of foil and drizzle lightly with olive oil and kosher salt. Tightly seal foil around them into a little packet and place on the baking sheet with potatoes.

Roast potatoes and shallots for 20 minutes, until lightly brown underneath. Flip the pieces and carefully open the foil packet with the shallots. Return the tray to the oven for another 5 to 15 minutes, checking every five minutes until the potatoes are evenly brown and the shallots are tender (remove shallots from oven if they finish first). 

Make the dressing: In a blender or food processor, whiz warm shallots with 6 tablespoons olive oil until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the machine running, add dijon mustard and 4.5 tablespoons vinegar, blending until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper, blending again. Taste and adjust with more vinegar, salt, and pepper as needed. If the dressing is very thick, thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons water.

Do ahead: The recipe can be paused here until needed. 

To serve: In a large wide bowl or salad plate, toss greens with half the dressing and season with additional salt and pepper. Arrange roasted potatoes over the greens, fanning out slices if you wish. Sprinkle salad with pomegranate and pepitas (if using) and drizzle some of the remaining dressing over, to taste. Once dressed, serve salad right away, with extra dressing on the side.