Chilled Maple Sweet Potato Picnic Salad with Whipped Tahini and Crunchy Pumpkin Seeds
Chilled Maple Sweet Potato Picnic Salad with Whipped Tahini and Crunchy Pumpkin Seeds
A refreshing, picnic-ready version of the original with nut-free pumpkin seeds, reduced maple syrup, and a cool, creamy tahini yogurt base.
Recipe Adapted Successfully
Reduced maple syrup by half to cut sugar; swapped pistachios for toasted pumpkin seeds to make nut-free; converted to a cold picnic salad by cooling all components and skipping the warming step for the tahini yogurt sauce, resulting in a refreshing, packable dish.
Nutrition Per Serving
Ingredients
3 x 6 cm wide, cut into 6 wedges each, unpeeled, scrubbed clean
Reduced by half from original recipe
for roasting sweet potatoes
drained but not dried
for seasoning chickpeas
for spicy maple sauce
halve if using table salt
pinch
full fat, unsweetened
mix well if oil is separated
finely grated
finely chopped; sub parsley if preferred
nut-free substitute for pistachios
Instructions
Preheat oven to 220°C/450°F (200°C fan). Position racks 20 cm apart for airflow.
Mix spicy maple sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Cut sweet potatoes into 6 wedges each. Toss on a parchment-lined tray with reduced maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange wedges cut-side down.
Drain chickpeas and spread wet on a second tray.
Roast both trays: sweet potatoes on top, chickpeas below. After 10 min, remove chickpeas, toss with oil and spices, return to oven for 15–20 min until crispy.
Flip sweet potatoes after 15 min; roast 15 min more. Optional: broil 3–5 min for charred edges.
Whisk whipped tahini yogurt ingredients in a heat-proof bowl. Chill until ready to serve; no warming step needed for cold salad version.
Let roasted components cool to room temp, then refrigerate until picnic-ready.
To serve cold: spread chilled whipped tahini yogurt on a platter, top with cold sweet-potato wedges, drizzle spicy maple sauce, scatter crispy chickpeas and toasted pumpkin seeds, finish with coriander.
Chef's Notes
Roasted chickpeas will stay crisp for 2 hours once cooled; add just before serving for maximum crunch.
Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 min until they pop and turn golden.
Salad can be assembled up to 4 hr ahead; keep chilled in an airtight container.
For a lower-sugar version, replace half the maple syrup in the sauce with a splash of balsamic vinegar.