Are you looking for the ultimate healthy and vibrant “power bowl” that is a true powerhouse of flavor, texture, and incredible nutrition? A brilliant, low-carb, and gluten-free take on a classic pasta salad that is perfect for a wholesome lunch or a simple weeknight dinner? This incredible Sweet Potato Noodle Salad with a creamy turmeric dressing is that perfect recipe! We’re talking tender, spiralized sweet potato “noodles,” sautéed with earthy turmeric and tossed with hearty chickpeas, fresh spinach, and a luscious, zesty lemon-tahini dressing.
This isn’t just another boring salad recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a flavor and texture explosion in a bowl. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to the perfect, crisp-tender sweet potato noodles and a dreamy, from-scratch dressing that you’ll want to put on everything. This is a wholesome, satisfying, and stunningly flavorful one-bowl wonder that will make you feel amazing from the inside out.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Healthy & Vibrant Power Bowl
What makes this Sweet Potato Noodle Salad so spectacularly delicious is its incredible combination of textures and its perfectly balanced, sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. This healthy, vegan, and naturally gluten-free dish is a masterpiece. The “noodles” are made from fresh, spiralized sweet potatoes, which are quickly sautéed until crisp-tender. This beautiful, vibrant orange base is then tossed with protein-packed chickpeas, fresh spinach, and crunchy pistachios. The entire dish is brought together with a simple, from-scratch, and incredibly bright and zesty creamy turmeric-tahini vinaigrette.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 20 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Vibrant Salad
This recipe uses a handful of fresh, high-impact ingredients to create its signature fresh and savory flavor.
- The Sweet Potato “Noodles”:
- Sweet Potatoes: The sweet, vibrant, and nutrient-packed star of our dish! Using a spiralizer to turn a humble sweet potato into beautiful “noodles” is a fantastic and fun way to create a healthy, low-carb, and gluten-free base for our salad.
- The Sauté Technique: The secret to perfect sweet potato noodles is to sauté them quickly in a hot pan for just a few minutes. This is the key that makes them perfectly tender-crisp, with a pleasant, al dente-like bite, and prevents them from becoming soft and mushy.
- The Creamy Turmeric-Tahini Dressing: A simple but perfectly balanced, classic vinaigrette.
- Tahini: The secret to a rich and creamy, completely vegan dressing! Tahini is a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds, and it has a wonderful, nutty, and slightly earthy flavor.
- Turmeric: This vibrant, golden spice has a wonderful, earthy and slightly peppery flavor and is well-known for its fantastic anti-inflammatory health benefits. It gives our dressing a beautiful, golden hue.
- The Hearty Add-ins: A classic and wholesome combination of tender fresh spinach, protein-packed chickpeas, and the rich, buttery crunch of pistachios.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Sweet Potato Noodle Salad
This elegant meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Step 1: Spiralize and Cook the Sweet Potato Noodles
First, use a spiralizer to turn your 2 peeled sweet potatoes into beautiful “noodles.”
In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the sweet potato noodles and sauté them for about 5 to 6 minutes, until they are crisp-tender. If you notice them sticking, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan to help them steam and soften.
Part 2: Make the Creamy Turmeric-Tahini Dressing
- Ingredients: 1/4 cup tahini, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 2-4 tablespoons of water.
- Instructions: In a small bowl or a jar with a lid, whisk or shake together the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, turmeric, and garlic powder. The mixture will seize up and become very thick at first—this is normal! Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking vigorously, until the dressing is smooth, creamy, and has reached your desired, pourable consistency.
Part 3: Assemble and Serve
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine your cooked sweet potato noodles with the 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, the 3 cups of chopped spinach, the 1 cup of chickpeas, and the 1 tablespoon of crushed pistachios.Step 2: Drizzle with your prepared Creamy Turmeric-Tahini Dressing and toss everything together to combine.
Enjoy the salad immediately while it is still slightly warm, or serve it chilled.
Potato Noodle Salad (with Turmeric Tahini Dressing!)
A quick and healthy recipe for a warm ‘pasta’ salad that uses spiralized sweet potatoes as the noodles. This vibrant, one-pan vegan dish features sautéed sweet potato noodles tossed with turmeric for color and earthy flavor. The warm noodles are then combined with fresh spinach, which wilts from the residual heat, along with protein-rich chickpeas and a crunch of crushed pistachios.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 Tbsp crushed pistachios
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons water (if needed)
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and use a spiralizer to create ‘noodles.’
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato noodles and sauté for about 5-6 minutes, until they become tender. If the noodles seem dry or are sticking, add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan to help them steam and soften.
- Add the turmeric, salt, and pepper to the skillet and toss to coat the sweet potato noodles evenly.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the fresh spinach, chickpeas, and crushed pistachios to the hot noodles.
- Toss everything together until the spinach has wilted.
- Serve the warm salad immediately.
Notes
- This is an extremely quick, one-pan meal that is perfect for a healthy lunch or light dinner.
- Using a spiralizer is the key to creating the ‘pasta’ from the sweet potatoes. If you don’t have one, you can also use a julienne peeler.
- The spinach is added at the very end and wilts from the residual heat of the dish, which prevents it from becoming overcooked.
The Ultimate Meal-Prep Guide
This hearty salad is the absolute perfect recipe for meal prepping!
- Prep Your Components: You can cook your sweet potato noodles and whisk together your dressing at the beginning of the week.
- Store Separately: Store everything in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator. The sweet potato noodles will keep for up to 4 days, and the dressing will keep for up to a week.
- Assemble: Each morning, or the night before, you can simply toss a portion of the noodles with some fresh spinach, chickpeas, and a little of the dressing for a quick, easy, and incredibly delicious lunch.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to cooking spiralized sweet potatoes so that they are tender-crisp and not mushy?
The secret is a quick sauté over a medium-high heat. You do not want to boil or steam them for too long. A quick toss in a hot skillet is all they need to become perfectly tender while still retaining a pleasant, al dente-like bite. Be careful not to overcrowd your pan, and work in batches if you need to.
Q2: How do I make a creamy tahini dressing that isn’t bitter or seized up?
The secret is to add your water slowly while whisking vigorously. When you first mix the acidic lemon juice with the fatty tahini, the mixture will tighten up and “seize”—this is a normal emulsion process! By slowly adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, and continuing to whisk, you will see the dressing magically loosen up and transform into a perfectly smooth and creamy consistency. Using a high-quality, fresh tahini will also ensure it is not bitter.
Q3: Can I make this salad ahead of time for meal prep?
Yes, this is a perfect meal-prep recipe! For the absolute best and freshest result, it is a great idea to store all your prepared components separately in the refrigerator. The cooked sweet potato noodles, the dressing, and the chickpeas will all keep beautifully. Then, you can simply toss everything together with your fresh spinach just before serving.
Q4: What can I use if I don’t have a spiralizer?
If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can still make a delicious version of this salad! You can use a julienne peeler to create thin, noodle-like strands from your sweet potato. Alternatively, you can simply dice your sweet potato into small, 1/2-inch cubes and roast them in the oven as you would for our Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Bowl.
Q5: Can I make this recipe with a different kind of “noodle”?
Of course! This recipe and dressing would also be fantastic with spiralized zucchini (“zoodles”), carrots, or even some butternut squash.