Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Quinoa Salad

This summer has turned out to be a lot better than I expected it to be. I didn't make very many plans in advanced because I wasn't sure I would have time, yet fun activities keep popping up a long the way. I recently had a spontaneous afternoon visit from a friend to catch up. We had plans to make dinner, but I wasn't really sure what dinner would be. I didn't think too much about it until dinner time actually rolled around. I threw this salad together and it turned out surprisingly well. The dressing was based off of memory from Oh She Glows and I forgot to add the mustard (and intentionally left out the maple syrup). I suggest you do the same, as it worked really well with this salad.

Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Quinoa Salad
Serves 4-6

1 very large sweet potato, chopped into small cubes

olive oil

garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
1 can chickpeas
double this dressing from Oh She Glows (minus the mustard and syrup)
sunflower seeds

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Toss sweet potato in olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Spread out evenly in a large roasting pan and roast in oven for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. You want the potatoes to be cooked well and browned on the outside.
3. Meanwhile, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cover, for 20 minutes.
4. Make the dressing and allow to sit at room temperature until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are cooked and have cooled a bit.
5. Combine sweet potatoes, quinoa, swiss chard, chickpeas, and dressing all together and stir to combine. Serve topped with sunflower seeds, warm or cold.

eating leftovers at my desk the next day

This salad was the result of throwing together what I had on hand, and it turned out great. A nice quick dinner which would make a great picnic or potluck dish. I hope you are all having as good of a summer as I am, spending quality time with good friends.