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Home > Blog

01.18.13 Bulk Bins

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

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Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

I walked into my kitchen with one goal in mind: make a hearty salad without having to go to the store. I still on occasion walk into my kitchen and feel ho-hum, as if all the ingredients I have can't make one decent meal. I used to be horrible about this and that would often lead to me convincing M to order food (but, I'd do it in a way that seemed like he came up with the idea to order food so I didn't feel guilty about not tackling something in the kitchen).

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

I knew I wanted a salad. I bought lettuce at the store (my first time since March- I get so spoiled with the CSA) with the goal of making a big salad. I needed some color in my life.

However, the lettuce was as far as I got. I had no plan for this salad other than I wanted it to be hearty. I started with my lone sweet potato (because it is the time of year when I only develop recipes with sweet potatoes-not really, but it always feels like it), some quinoa, gorgonzola that I bought awhile ago with intentions to make other things, and just for good measure, some sunflower seeds. I tossed the whole thing together with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and called it good.

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Well almost good. I mean, why stop there when you can add eggs? I've always loved hardboiled eggs on my salad but recently I've felt on a roll with runny eggs (of course, this salad can also be made with hardboiled- it's really up to you!)

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

This salad is perfect for a bit of January pick-me-up. It's the type of meal you eat and then feel like you can tackle the world (although thinking back, that might have been all the tea I drank right before eating this salad). Either way- it's delicious and perfectly filling.

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

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Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Print Recipe
  • Author: Erin Alderson
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

Scale
  • Sweet Potatoes:
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • ½ medium onion
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
  • Quinoa:
  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • Salad:
  • 2-3 handfuls of lettuce
  • ⅓ cup gorgonzola
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2-3 eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400˚. Cube sweet potato and onion. Toss with ½ tablespoon olive oil and rosemary. Roast until tender, 20-25 minutes.
  2. Rinse quinoa and combine with water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for another 5 minutes, still covered.
  3. Let sweet potatoes and quinoa cool while making soft-boiled eggs.
  4. Bring a pot of water to a boil and reduce to a fast simmer. Add eggs and let cook for 5-7 minutes (5 minutes for runny yolks, 7 minutes for slightly firmer yolk). Remove and place in an ice bath for 60 seconds.
  5. In a large bowl combine lettuce, sweet potatoes, quinoa, sunflower seeds, and gorgonzola. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over salad and toss together. Top salad with eggs.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @naturallyella on Instagram and hashtag it #naturallyella

 

 

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  1. Kierstan Peck says

    January 18, 2013 at 8:45 am

    This salad looks like the perfect mid-week winter meal!

    Reply
  2. Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    This is gorgeous Erin! And so packed with goodness. Eggs on top of anything make such a good meal 🙂

    Reply
  3. Stefanie says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    The eggs and just the right amount of quinoa make this salad. I don't have the ingredients to make this right now, but I am now craving a soft boiled egg.

    Reply
  4. Eileen says

    January 18, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    Soft-boiled eggs in salad is a great idea! I usually go for hard-boiled in my salads, but I think next time I'm going to have to mix it up a bit. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Stephanie Wise says

    January 18, 2013 at 5:07 pm

    This is truly the perfect salad. And those eggs on top? Swoon.

    Reply
  6. Sonja / A Couple Cooks says

    January 18, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    Yum! We're huge soft boiled egg fans! Thanks for the reminder; I haven't thought of doing so in a while. And I've never thought of putting one on a salad!

    Reply
  7. Jess says

    January 18, 2013 at 11:58 pm

    Oh, you've really made me want to master the soft-boiled egg with this one, Erin. Must give this a try.

    Reply
  8. Jacqui says

    January 19, 2013 at 11:06 am

    Um, yes please!

    Reply
  9. Kristin says

    January 19, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    You inspired my dinner tonight! I made some tweaks based on what I had in the house, but that's the spirit of this dish, right? I did the sweet potatoes, onions, and quinoa like you, but I used spinach instead of lettuce, goat cheese instead of gorgonzola, omitted the eggs and sunflower seeds, and instead added black beans and avocado. No dressing...just a drizzle of lemon juice on top. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  10. The Nutritional Epiphany says

    January 22, 2013 at 2:12 am

    I absolutely love putting eggs on salads. This recipe is beautiful, photogenic and I cannot wait to try it!

    Reply
  11. Nat - Apple Diaries says

    January 22, 2013 at 5:48 am

    Hi Erin! Thanks for the delicious and easy Quinoa recipe. I usually only cook with the white seeds but have heard that the black have a much stronger flavour and are equally as nutritious, so I'll have to try them.

    Here is a great post on some of the many health benefits of Quinoa - http://theapplediaries.com/what-is-quinoa/

    Thanks again!

    Reply
    • elalderson says

      January 22, 2013 at 7:36 am

      I actually found the black didn't taste much different but then again, I had it mixed in with a whole mess of ingredients!

      Reply
  12. The Nutritional Epiphany says

    January 23, 2013 at 2:45 am

    I absolutely love this idea. Putting eggs on a salad is one of my favorite quick strategies! I've never soft poached an egg before though... very excited to try. I can't wait to explore your site more because I can tell there is a lot that I am going to love!

    Reply
  13. Brittany says

    January 24, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    Oh goodness, this looks so tasty! I would have never thought to put a soft boiled egg in a salad! Can't wait to try this.

    Reply
  14. Kscee13 says

    February 12, 2013 at 6:04 am

    This is delicious and just as beautiful with roasted carrots and almond slivers instead of sunflower seeds. I went for the hard boiled version of egg. YUM!

    Reply
  15. Jess55 says

    February 19, 2013 at 8:55 am

    Looks lovely. How many does it serve?

    Reply
  16. Ana says

    February 21, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    mmmmm art food!

    Reply
  17. Betsy says

    April 01, 2013 at 8:25 pm

    Runny eggs makes everything better

    Reply
  18. Elizabeth says

    January 15, 2014 at 5:56 pm

    Yum I just made this and it was great. Delicious flavor balance plus great levels of protein. Thanks!

    Reply
  19. christinarule says

    February 10, 2014 at 1:29 pm

    This was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  20. Ellie says

    April 08, 2014 at 3:30 pm

    Just a really wonderful recipe!! We just had it for the sixth time and just love it. Even the little ones like it. Thanks so much!!

    Reply
  21. Amanda says

    September 08, 2014 at 4:04 pm

    How many portions is this for? I'm trying to to work this in a food prep meal. Thanks!

    Reply
    • erin says

      September 09, 2014 at 9:43 am

      Roughly 2 large, 3-4 small portions

      Reply
  22. Wendy says

    March 28, 2015 at 5:22 pm

    Delicious. I made your yummy salad for a family get together and the bowl was scraped clean. I stumbled upon you site by googling the ingredients I had available

    Reply
  23. Sabrina says

    August 08, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    love all of these ingredients, even specifically soft boiled eggs, sweet potatoes are one of my favorites too, and haven't seen these all in one place as beautifully as in this recipe, so thank you!

    Reply
  24. Sophie says

    April 26, 2020 at 4:42 am

    Hey, I love this recipe and we keep coming back to it. However, I'm not able to eat gorgonzola at the moment (or any unpasteurised or blue cheeses) - what would you suggest as an alternative?

    Reply
    • Erin Alderson says

      April 26, 2020 at 8:14 pm

      Feta or Goat Cheese would be nice and I believe, most brands use pasteurized milk!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Recipe Success | Freckles In Our Eyes says:
    04.4.13 at 7:01 am

    [...] Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft boiled Egg by Naturally Ella [...]

    Reply
  2. A Week in Meals | Naturally Ella says:
    04.18.13 at 11:20 am

    [...] Saturday:  Salad (using leftover sweet potato and quinoa) [...]

    Reply

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