Healthy breakfast salad: roasted sweet potato, bacon, and berries over arugula

There is no rule that breakfast has to be warm, and this salad makes a real case for skipping that assumption. Roasted sweet potato and crisp bacon go over arugula with berries and avocado, and a blended basil dressing pulls the whole plate together.

The original dressing includes black pepper. It is left out here rather than swapped, since it is a seed spice outside strict AIP elimination and the basil and lemon carry plenty of brightness without it.

Arugula is a genuinely underused leafy green at breakfast, and it carries a peppery bite that stands up to the richness of bacon and avocado rather than getting lost under it. Berries add a hit of antioxidants and a little sweetness against the savory base, and the components can all be roasted or blended ahead so this comes together fast the morning you eat it.

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Sea salt, to taste

Salad:

• 1 small white sweet potato, roughly chopped
• Avocado oil, for roasting
• Sea salt, to taste
• 4 cups arugula
• 8 ounces cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup mixed berries (blackberries and blueberries)

Method

• Blend the basil, garlic, avocado oil, lemon juice, and salt in a high-speed blender until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the chopped sweet potato with avocado oil and salt, spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and roast 25 to 30 minutes, until softened and lightly crisped.
• Divide the arugula between two bowls. Top with the bacon, roasted sweet potato, berries, and avocado.
• Drizzle with the basil dressing and serve right away.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com by Michelle Hoover*