Recipe - Sweet Potato & Cashew Cream Salad

Recipe - Sweet Potato & Cashew Cream Salad

This one always gets a reaction. It doesn't look like a salad in any conventional sense — it's warm, comforting and almost feels indulgent — and yet every single ingredient is doing something genuinely useful for your body. The cashew cream in particular is a recipe I come back to again and again. Once you have it in the fridge it goes on everything, and it's a brilliant dairy-free alternative for anyone who struggles with cow's cream or crème fraîche.

The combination of baked sweet potato with cinnamon and a fat-rich cream is also clever from a blood sugar perspective. The cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity, the fats in the cashew cream slow glucose absorption from the sweet potato, and the pomegranate seeds add a burst of polyphenols and antioxidants on top. This is the kind of dish that feels like a treat but is working hard for you at the same time.

Why These Ingredients Work

• Sweet potato is one of the best sources of beta-carotene — the precursor to vitamin A — which supports skin integrity, immune function and eye health. It also contains resistant starch that feeds beneficial gut bacteria, particularly when slightly cooled after cooking.

• Cinnamon has been shown in multiple studies to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes. Even a small amount sprinkled over a carbohydrate-rich food makes a meaningful difference to the glucose response — it's one of the simplest evidence-based tools I know of.

• Cashews provide magnesium, copper and zinc alongside monounsaturated fats and plant protein. Soaking them before blending breaks down phytic acid, which can otherwise inhibit mineral absorption — so the soaking step matters more than it might seem.

• Pomegranate seeds are exceptionally rich in punicalagins and anthocyanins — polyphenols that reduce inflammation, support the gut microbiome and have been shown to improve memory and cognitive function. The molasses form concentrates these compounds further.

• Pumpkin seeds add zinc, magnesium and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, as well as a satisfying crunch. They're one of the best plant-based sources of tryptophan, the amino acid precursor to serotonin.

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes

• Cashews

• Vanilla extract

• Pomegranate molasses

• Pumpkin seeds

• Fresh pomegranate seeds

• Cinnamon

• Deodorised coconut oil

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: chia seeds to finish

Cashew Cream

• Soak cashews in water for at least 20 minutes — the longer the soak, the creamier the result. I often leave them overnight.

• Drain and discard the soaking water

• Add cashews to a blender and cover with 1.5x their volume of fresh water

• Blend until completely smooth — this takes a couple of minutes in a good blender

• Add a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, blend again briefly

Method

• Slice sweet potatoes into rounds (wheels) roughly 1cm thick

• Lay on a baking tray and drizzle with a small amount of deodorised coconut oil

• Sprinkle generously with cinnamon

• Bake at 200°C until tender and lightly caramelised at the edges — usually 25–30 minutes

To Serve

• Plate the warm sweet potato wheels

• Spoon over the cashew cream dressing

• Scatter pumpkin seeds and fresh pomegranate seeds

• Drizzle with pomegranate molasses

• Optional: sprinkle chia seeds for extra texture, colour and omega-3s

The cashew cream keeps in the fridge for 4–5 days and works beautifully on everything from grain bowls to berries to smoothies. Make a bigger batch than you think you need. Enjoy!

Niki x