Winter Chopped Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Blood oranges are my current obsession. This salad uses them in two ways -- as a salad component and in the vinaigrette. Happy Friday!!

Recipe from How Sweet Eats. 

Ingredients: 

roasted sweet potato

-1 large sweet potato, cubed

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 tablespoon maple syrup

-1 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon pepper

-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

-6 cups romaine leaves, chopped

-2 blood oranges, segmented and chopped

-1/4 cup pomegranate arils

-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

blood orange vinaigrette

-1/3 cup blood orange juice

-1/4 cup golden balsamic vinegar

-1 garlic clove, freshly grated or pressed

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon pepper

-1/3 cup olive oil

First, prepare the sweet potato for baking. Toss the sweet potato cubes with the olive oil and maple syrup. In a small bowl, sift together the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika, then toss the sweet potatoes with it. Lay the sweet potato cubes out on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, flip and roast for 10 to 15 minutes more. 

While the sweet potato is roasting, add  the chopped romaine to a large bowl and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss the greens with the oranges, arils and goat cheese. Add the sweet potato cubes once they come out of the oven. 

To make the vinaigrette, combine the blood orange juice, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stream in the olive oil while constantly whisking until the dressing comes together. Add as much dressing as desired to the salad and enjoy! 

This salad was wonderful as a light lunch and the leftovers seemed to hold up in the fridge pretty well. The spices on the sweet potato complemented the tangy blood orange nicely and the tartness of the pomegranate arils held up nicely against the mild goat cheese.