this shit rocks no. 58: copycat souvla sweet potato salad!

Plus my *perfect weekend itinerary* in the Bay area!

Last Thursday, Pepper and I hit the road and drove up to the Bay area to spend some time with our buddy, Kath. We drank cappuccinos at Wrecking Ball, strolled the dreamy aisles of Luke’s Local, slurped oysters and spooned buffalo milk soft serve at the Marshall Store in Tomales Bay, ate salads from Souvla (more on that below), sipped on Scribe wine, and even scored a day-of lunch reservation at the Chez Panisse (my first time!!).

This week’s recipe is inspired by our Souvla order. If you’ve never heard of this spot, it’s a fast casual Greek restaurant with locations throughout San Francisco. Their baklava soft serve brings a tear to my eye.

We got the sweet potato salad plus chicken. It comes with chopped kale, roasted Japanese sweet potatoes (the superior tuber, obviously), pickled onions, toasted walnuts, mizithra cheese, olives, and a garlic yogurt dressing. It’s so simple and something that I could eat for lunch everyday. So, I wasted no time once I got back home to recreate the salad (no Souvla in LA!!!), and I must say, it is a real treat.

To make this weekday lunch friendly, I would recommend prepping a few things in advance so that you can pull it all together when it’s time to eat. Pickle your onions a few days ahead, buy a rotisserie chicken or roast off a few breasts/thighs, make the dressing, roast the ‘taters, and go ahead and toast those walnuts while the oven is on. This salad is the gift that keeps on giving.

I would like to take credit for curating such an epic weekend in SF, but something you should know is that any cool trip that I have ever done was likely planned by Kath. Who could forget our journey up the California coast in 2019 or our Utah/Arizona/Colorado national park roadtrip in 2020??

Lucky for us all, she’s now a travel advisor! That means that she can curate, plan, and book your next vaca. From building a trip from scratch to adding perks (free breakfast, room upgrades, spa credits!) to a hotel you’ve already decided on, she’s your gal. Perhaps too niche, but if you are planning an Italian honeymoon, you should 1,000% hit her up. Reach out to her via Instagram or fill out her inquiry form. Happy travels!!

Souvla Sweet Potato Salad with Chicken and Garlic Yogurt Dressing

Serves: 4

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes