Roasted Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Spelt Salad Nourish Bowl

A delicious hearty, nourishing salad bursting with flavour and packed with fibre, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Perfect for office lunchboxes, meal prep, or as a vibrant side dish. Serve it warm or cold and either way, it’s a glow-up on a plate.

🛒 Ingredients

• 1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

• 2 tbsp olive oil (for roasting)

• 100 g extra virgin olive oil (for dressing)

• 50 g balsamic vinegar

• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

• 2–3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

• 1½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)

• ¾ tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)

• 800 ml water

• 250 g pearled spelt, rinsed

• 350 g tenderstem broccoli, chopped into 4 cm pieces

• 100 g red onions, thinly sliced

• 100 g black olives (whole or sliced)

• 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds

• 15 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped

🥄 Method

1. Roast the sweet potato
   Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan). Spread the cubed sweet potato onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, scatter over the thyme, and season lightly. Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and cooked through.

2. Make the dressing
   In a large salad bowl, whisk together the 100 g olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified. Add the sliced red onions and olives to the bowl and let them marinate while you cook the rest.

3. Cook the spelt
   In a medium saucepan, bring 800 ml water to a boil. Add rinsed spelt, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, or until tender but still chewy. Drain well and set aside.

4. Steam the broccoli
   While the spelt is cooking, steam or blanch the broccoli for 4–5 minutes until just tender and bright green. Drain and set aside.

5. Assemble the salad
   Add the warm spelt to the salad bowl with the dressing, onions, and olives. Toss gently to coat. Fold in the roasted sweet potato, steamed broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

6. Serve
   Enjoy warm or cold. Keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days.

🥗 Why You'll Love This Salad

This vibrant bowl is more than just a pretty plate – it’s a powerful combo of fibre, plant diversity, and hormone-supportive nutrients. Roasted sweet potato provides slow-releasing carbs to support blood sugar balance and sustained energy. Spelt is rich in prebiotic fibre to nourish gut health, while broccoli and red onion offer antioxidants and sulphur compounds that support natural detox pathways. Add in healthy fats from olive oil and pumpkin seeds, and you've got a deliciously balanced meal that keeps you full and focused.

Serve it with roasted salmon for omega-3s, grilled chicken for lean protein, or halloumi for a satisfying vegetarian option. This salad is the perfect base – grounding, nourishing, and ready to flex with your day.

✅ What makes it health-supportive:

• Sweet potato – rich in beta-carotene, fibre, and complex carbs for energy and blood sugar regulation

• Spelt – an ancient wholegrain with fibre, B vitamins, and slow-digesting carbs (unless gluten is a concern)

• Broccoli – full of fibre, folate, vitamin C, and hormone-supportive sulforaphane

• Red onions & garlic – prebiotic and antioxidant-rich, great for gut health and immune support

• Black olives – a source of healthy monounsaturated fats and polyphenols

• Pumpkin seeds – high in magnesium, zinc, and protein – brilliant for energy, hormones, and mood

• Olive oil – anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy

• Balsamic vinegar & mustard – flavourful and beneficial in small amounts, with no added sugar here

• Parsley – rich in vitamin K and chlorophyll, supporting detoxification