Mediterranean sweet potato salad with lemon mint vinaigrette

Name: Mediterranean Sweet Potato Salad with Lemon Mint Vinaigrette
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 medium sweet potatoes; 2 can chickpeas (approx 15.5 oz can (430g can)); 2 large cucumbers; 2 cups cherry tomatoes; ½ cup radishes; 2 cups lettuce; 6 oz feta cheese (sheep or goats preferably); 2 tsp dried cumin; 2 tsp dried paprika; 2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp chilli flakes; 1 tsp olive oil; ½ tsp salt; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 4 tbsp lemon juice; 1 grated garlic clove; 2 tsp dried or fresh mint; 2 tsp honey; 2 tbsp water

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Super easy, 10 min prep, 20 min in the oven, this Mediterranean sweet potato salad is a vegetarian dream with flavorful crispy roasted chickpeas, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and dressed in a refreshing lemon mint vinaigrette.

Perfect summer salad for lunches and dinners that can be eaten by the whole family, including baby-led weaning and for picky eaters.

2 bowls of Mediterranean sweet potato salad with lemon mint vinaigrette and 1 plate for toddler

As you may know, in our home we do a lot of meal planning and usually a lot of healthy eating.

I usually cook and prep food 3 days a week (usually evenings, or during nap time) for the rest of the week.

This Mediterranean baked sweet potato salad recipe is one that makes it to my meal plan almost every week, especially in the summer.

Why we love it:

10 min prep, 20 min oven - part of our 30 minute Family Recipes Collection

Perfect lunch summer salad

Delicious vegetarian recipe

Healthy Mediterranean baked sweet potato with crunchy roasted chickpeas

Can be served to the whole family including baby-led weaning and picky eaters

I usually make enough for 2 lunches (so I double the servings). For Max (who is 4 right now) I count almost the same as an adult because you never know which ingredient he will decide to devour and leave the rest! 🙂

And after 2 days if I have baked sweet potatoes or chickpeas leftover, they can be perfectly paired with a number of other ingredients.

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Ingredients
Step-by-step
How to serve for baby & toddler?
TIPS
FAQ
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Recipe

Ingredients

2 baking trays with sweet potato and 2 baking trays with chickpeas

Chickpeas – we use canned. You can also use dried instead but you'll need to soak them for 12 hours and then cook for 2 hours as well... and if you have a toddler around your feet, you ain't got time for that!

Sweet Potato – use orange sweet potatoes in a salad as they have the sweetest flavor and pair nicely with the sourness of the tomatoes.

Salad Ingredients – pick cherry or plum tomatoes for their sourness. Any cucumber or radish will do. They are there for the crunch.

Feta Cheese – I generally only buy feta cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk and avoid cow's milk. Cow's milk products are more inflammatory for me personally and often result in a lot of painful acne the next day. So, I personally find goat's or sheep milk products better for my overall health. But if you don't have any issues with cow's milk products, you can safely use feta cheese made from cow's milk.

salad ingredients - lettuce, bowl of cherry tomatoes, bowl of chopped up cucumber, bowl of chopped up radishes

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into cubes about ½ inch / 1 cm. If serving to a baby for baby-led weaning then do not salt them and cut them the width of two fingers stuck together.

3. Season with cinnamon, paprika, salt, and mix with your hands so each cube is coated. The best would be if you have a big enough baking tray so the sweet potato cubes don't touch and they can get nice and crispy and bake evenly.

4. Prep the chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, drain them, dry them, and place them on the sheet pan or baking tray. Also, all on one level so they all become crunchy. Season with the remainder of the spices.

(If you are giving this to your baby and toddler you can always have a non-seasoned part just in case they reject seasoning.)

5. Prepare the rest of the vegetables. Wash and cut up the rest of the salad ingredients into little chunks.

6. Prepare the mint vinaigrette. To grate the garlic I use this simple cheese grater. Then place all the ingredients in a cup and mix them.

7. Assemble the salad. Allow the chickpeas and sweet potato to cool a bit then place roasted chickpeas, baked sweet potato, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and radishes in a big bowl. Pour over the mint salad dressing and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Note: do not give honey to children under 1-year-old due to botulism risks.

sweet potato salad with feta and mediterranean mint dressing in a white bowl, second bowl with salad in background

How to serve for baby & toddler?

Babies

Omit salt from the recipe
Omit the dressing
Omit feta due to high salt content
Omit radishes and lettuce

6 months old baby
- For baby-led weaning
  - Sweet potato - sliced thinly the width of two fingers put together.
  - Cucumber - cut in spears. The baby will most likely gnaw on the inside and use the skin to hold it
  - Chickpeas - should be rinsed from extra salt if they are from a can and then smashed. Do not serve whole or roasted chickpeas as they present a choking hazard.
  - Cherry tomatoes - if you have large ones then halve them, smaller ones reserve for when they can pincer grasp
Not suitable for pureeing

9 months old+ (or whenever ready for pincer grasp)
- Cut up into bite-size pieces or the same as for baby-led weaning

Toddlers

Serve the same way as for adults for older toddlers and for younger ones smash the canned chickpeas as the harder baked ones might be a choking hazard to them

Picky eaters – serve each ingredient separately so they can choose which they like.

a bamboo plate for toddlers with roasted chickpeas, roasted sweet potato and chopped up cucumber, cherry tomatoes and radishes

TIPS

Dry the canned chickpeas - the drier they are the crispier they will be

Chop everything into small pieces - then each mouthful has all the flavors

Dress the salad before sprinkling feta - feta absorbs all the dressing

If making more portions for the following days, store some dressing in the fridge and dress the salad just before eating rather than in advance.

FAQ

Can baby eat lettuce?

Yes, babies can eat lettuce. The question is will they? Usually, the texture of the lettuce isn't something that is appealing to babies and they tend to just move it in their mouth and then spit it out. This is fine and actually a way for them to get acquainted with new textures. It might be some time until they fully accept lettuce, but keep offering it to them and someday they will surprise you.

Can I use dry chickpeas?

Yes, but these need to be soaked for 12 hours prior and then cooked for approximately 2 hours or according to cooking instructions. Also sometime in the middle of the soaking process, it is good to change the water used for soaking as dry chickpeas release certain compounds called saponins that can cause digestive issues.

Can I Use Another Cheese For Babies?

Yes. Feta cheese is a really salty cheese and might not really be a good fit for babies. So some unsalted goat's cheese or a firmer version of cottage cheese would be a good substitution.

sweet potato salad in a white bowl with metal fork inside

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