Sweet Potato Salad

Looking for the perfect side dish to bring to a potluck Thanksgiving? Erin Clarkson of @cloudykitchen to the rescue. She may be a native New Zealander, but she sure knows how to do Thanksgiving right.  Erin’s family has been perfecting this Pesto Sweet Potato Salad for years, and we think they’ve gotten it just right!  The best part is you can make this several days in advance (it only gets better the longer it sits) and you can serve it at room temperature. A godsend for your overcrowded and overworked ovens come Thanksgiving day.

Pesto Sweet Potato Salad by Erin Clarkson of Cloudy Kitchen

Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 red onions, halved and sliced into half-moons
approx 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Pesto
2 cups basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
approx 1 cup olive oil

Roast sweet potatoes and red onions at 400˚F until onions are soft and slightly browned, approx 25 minutes for onions and 45 for the sweet potato. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a large frying pan on medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring frequently, until most of them have 'popped'. Set aside to cool.

Place basil, parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in a blender. Turn the blender on low, and slowly add olive oil. Blend on high for 10-20 seconds until fairly smooth. Add more oil if needed - you want a pourable consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine cooled sweet potato and onion in a large bowl. Pour pesto over the vegetables, and mix well.  Add pumpkin seeds and stir to combine. If assembling ahead of time, store the pumpkin seeds until ready to serve, then stir through.