A roasted sweet potato and pear salad for winter: warm roasted sweet potato, thin slices of firm pear and shaved raw fennel over mixed leaves, with crumbled feta, dried cranberries and maple-spiced pecans. Serves two as a main in about 50 minutes.
The sweet potato goes in slightly warm from the oven while the pear and fennel stay raw and crisp against it. The pecans are tossed in maple syrup, smoked paprika and cayenne and roasted, which gives you something sweet, smoky and crunchy to scatter over the top. A sharp mustard and cider vinegar dressing, sweetened with a little maple, pulls it together.
Roasted Sweet Potato and Pear Salad with Feta and Spiced Pecans
A winter salad of roasted sweet potato, thinly sliced pear and shaved fennel on mixed leaves, with crumbled feta, dried cranberries, maple-spiced pecans and a mustardy maple dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 firm pears
- 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g mixed salad leaves (baby leaf, rocket, watercress or spinach)
- ½ small fennel bulb, very thinly shaved with a mandolin or speed peeler
- 50g feta, crumbled
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 50g pecans
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan.
- Toss the sweet potato cubes with the olive oil, a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Spread on a baking tray and roast for 30 to 35 minutes until tender and golden at the edges.
- For the last 10 minutes, toss the pecans with the maple syrup, smoked paprika, cayenne and salt, spread on a second tray lined with baking paper and roast alongside the sweet potato for 8 to 10 minutes until fragrant and caramelised. Leave to cool; they crisp as they do.
- Whisk the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup together in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and some black pepper.
- Quarter and core the pears, skin on, and slice finely lengthways.
- Arrange the leaves on a serving platter or individual bowls. Scatter over the roasted sweet potato, pear, shaved fennel, cranberries and crumbled feta.
- Top with the spiced pecans and drizzle with the dressing just before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
948Protein
15 gSugar
57 gCarbs
104 gFat
57 gApproximate values per serving. A substantial main. Fat comes from the olive oil and pecans, mostly unsaturated; sugar from the pears, sweet potato, cranberries and maple syrup, balanced by the salty feta and sharp dressing.
Ingredient Notes
Pears
They need to be firm. An overripe pear turns to pulp on the plate and the slices won't hold. Conference is the safest supermarket bet; Comice works if it's still hard. Leave the skin on for colour and structure. Slice just before assembling, or toss the slices in a squeeze of lemon to stop them browning.
Sweet potato
Cut the cubes evenly so they roast at the same rate, and don't crowd the tray or they'll steam rather than caramelise. You want golden edges.
Fennel
Shave it paper-thin on a mandolin or with a speed peeler. Thick slices are tough and aniseedy; shaved, it's sweet and crisp. Keep any fronds for scattering over the top.
Feta
A block, crumbled by hand, gives better texture than pre-cubed. Most UK supermarket feta is vegetarian but check the label. The salt is doing real work against all the sweetness here, so don't be shy with it.
Pecans
Watch them in the oven. Maple syrup goes from caramelised to burnt in about a minute. They'll feel sticky when they come out and crisp up as they cool.
Dried cranberries
Most are sweetened. If you'd rather less sugar, dried sour cherries or a few pomegranate seeds do the same job.
Salad leaves
Something with a bit of pepper, rocket or watercress, balances the sweetness.
Kitchen notes
On sweetness
This is a fairly sweet salad, with pear, sweet potato, cranberries and maple all pulling the same way. The salty feta and the mustard and vinegar in the dressing are what keep it in balance, so don't skimp on either.
Dress at the table
The leaves wilt and the pecans soften once the dressing goes on. Drizzle it over just before serving.
Serving suggestions
How to serve
On one big platter in the middle of the table, pecans and fennel fronds over the top, dressing poured over at the last moment. Warm sweet potato against cold pear is the point, so don't let it sit.
What to serve alongside
Warm crusty bread, or nothing. It's a full plate for two. If you're stretching it to four as a side, it sits well next to roast chicken or a baked ham.
Zero waste
Fennel
Use the fronds as garnish and keep the tough outer layer and core for stock. The other half of the bulb keeps for a week wrapped in the fridge.
FAQ
Which pears are best for salad?
Firm ones. Conference holds its shape best; Comice and Williams work if they're still hard. Avoid anything that gives when pressed.
Can I make this ahead?
Roast the sweet potato and pecans up to a day ahead and keep them separately at room temperature; warm the sweet potato through before serving. Slice the pear and fennel and dress the salad just before you eat.
Is this salad vegetarian?
Yes, provided the feta is made with vegetarian rennet. Most UK supermarket feta is; check the label.
Can I use a different nut?
Walnuts take the maple and spice just as well. Almonds work but need an extra couple of minutes in the oven.
Can I swap the sweet potato?
Roasted butternut squash or beetroot both work in the same quantities and timings.
What can I use instead of maple syrup?
Honey, in the same amounts, for both the pecans and the dressing.
