Sweet potato and grain salad
Sweet potato and grain salad is a nourishing vegetarian salad combining roasted sweet potato, nutty freekeh and tender French lentils. The Thermomix chops the onion in seconds, then cooks the grains hands-free with vegetable stock paste and cumin for consistent results. Ideal as a main course or lunchbox favourite.
About this recipe
Sweet potato and grain salad Thermomix TM7 is the kind of hearty, plant-based salad that works just as well for a quick weeknight dinner as it does for Sunday meal prep. Searching for grain salad recipes with your all-in-one kitchen machine usually ends in bland quinoa bowls, but this version delivers real depth: sweet potato roasted until its edges caramelise, cracked freekeh with its signature smoky chew, and French lentils that stay firm rather than turning to mush. The Thermomix TM7 handles the tedious parts beautifully — the onion is chopped in seconds without tears, and the grains simmer gently in vegetable stock paste and ground cumin with steady heat, so nothing sticks or boils over. Cumin ties the earthy lentils to the sweet potato, while a good drizzle of olive oil finishes each bowl. Serve it warm with crusty bread or cold from the fridge the next day, when the flavours have mingled even deeper.
Preparation tips
- Cut the sweet potato into even cubes of roughly two centimetres so every piece caramelises at the same rate and none stay hard while others soften too much.
- Cook the freekeh and French lentils separately if you prefer distinct textures; lentils easily over-soften, and keeping them apart keeps the salad from becoming starchy.
- Dress the grains while still warm with olive oil, cumin and salt — they absorb flavour far better than when cold, and the salad tastes noticeably rounder after resting overnight in the fridge.
Recipe variations
- Make it fully gluten-free by swapping the cracked freekeh for buckwheat or quinoa; both keep a lovely bite and absorb the cumin and vegetable stock paste just as well.
- For a festive autumn version, replace the sweet potato with roasted pumpkin and beetroot, add pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts, and finish with a splash of lemon juice for brightness.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Chopping speed - The Thermomix chops the onion finely in seconds without a single tear. [Chopping]. [Multi-Function]
- Built-in scale - Weigh the cracked freekeh and French lentils directly in the mixing bowl of the TM7. [Weighing]. [Built-in Scale]
- Precise heating - The Thermomix heats the vegetable stock paste and water evenly so the grains cook without sticking. [Heating]. [Precision Control]
- Hands-free steaming - The Varoma of the Thermomix steams the sweet potato until tender while the grains cook below. [Steaming]. [Hands-Free]
- Even mixing - The TM7 mixes the olive oil and cumin dressing into a uniform coating for the salad. [Mixing]. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- sweet potato
- red onion
- olive oil
- salt
- ground cumin
- water
- Vegetable stock paste
- cracked freekeh
- French green lentils
- olive oil