I make this sweet potato salad so often that even my dog is getting sick of it  quite often because it is such a hearty and delicious salad. It is so colorful and full of different textures and flavors. The buttery cannellini beans make such a lovely pair with the crunchy broccoli and the sweetness of the roasted potatoes is perfectly balanced by the tangy lime dressing. To conclude, this salad is everything but boring.

Ps: In case you’re wondering why I used pink quail eggs, the reason is very simple: they are springy and cute and lovely and adorable.

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

sweet potatoes

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp cumin powder
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• 2 Tbsp lime juice

quail eggs

• 12 quail eggs
• 1 beetroot
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 2 cups water

broccoli

• 1 small broccoli
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2l water (for boiling)
• 2l water + 1 cup of ice (for cooling down)

cannellini beans

• 1 can of canellini beans (rinsed and drain)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves

dressing

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• ½ Tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp lime zest
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1 shallot, chopped finely

Method:

1. Sweet potatoes. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes. Place them on a ceramic tray, sprinkle them with cumin, chilli powder and olive oil and toss to cover. Roast them in the preheated oven at 400°F/204°C (gas mark 6) for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle with 2 Tbsp of lime juice.
2. Pink quail eggs. Peel the beetroot and cut it into small cubes. Place it in a sauce pan and cover with water and vinegar. Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Wash carefully 12 eggs, place them in a pot and cover with cold water. Place the pot on the stove and wait until the water starts to boil. Reduce heat to minimum and let eggs boil for 3 minutes. Drain eggs, let them cool in cold water and peel them.

Place the peeled eggs in a bowl, cover with beetroot juice and leave aside for 15 minutes.

3. Broccoli. Fill a large pot with 2l of water, add salt, cover the pot and place it on the stove over high heat. Once the water begins to boil, carefully place the broccoli florets into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the broccoli in a colander and immediately place the broccoli in a bowl filled with cold water and ice (this technique is known as “blanching”).
4. Canellini beans. Heat olive oil in a skillet, add the garlic cloves and fry them on low heat until golden. Remove them from heat and add the cannellini beans. Saute them on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until golden.
5. Dressing. Mix together olive oil, lime juice and zest, honey, salt, pepper and chopped dill.

Place on a salad plate the blanched broccoli, the roasted sweet potatoes, the garlic flavored cannellini beans, some shallot slices and the pink quail eggs. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.