Roasted sweet potatoes are delicious as a simple side dish, but with a few extra ingredients, you can turn tender sweet potato chunks into this fabulous sweet and savory salad that everyone will love. Take this to your Thanksgiving potlucks, bring it to a BBQ instead of the normal mayo-based potato salad, or serve it with dinner this weekend. Roasted sweet potato salad is welcome at any occasion or meal, and there won’t be any leftovers. If you love sweet potatoes as much as I do, pick up a few extra! Use them to make Sweet Potato Pie, or a tasty Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash.
Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients In Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Here’s what you need to make this delicious side dish: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Sweet Potatoes: We’ll roast the diced sweet potatoes with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper until they’re extra sweet and perfectly tender. Greens: Use fresh spring mix or any combination of tender greens that you enjoy. Spinach or kale would also work well here. Dried Cranberries: The sweet tartness of cranberries is a perfect match for roasted sweet potatoes, and I love the little bit of chewiness that they add too. Pecans: Toast the pecans for the best flavor and crunch. I’ll tell you how – it’s very simple. Avocado: Instead of mayonnaise, we’re adding diced avocado to this salad to bring in some creamy texture. Goat Cheese: Crumbled goat cheese is creamy, tangy, and beautiful here. You can also use feta cheese if you prefer. Simple Homemade Dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper get shaken up in seconds to create the final layer to this masterpiece of a salad. This dressing is so easy, and completely irresistible.
How To Make Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
How to Toast Pecans
To toast the pecans, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, spread pecan halves on a small quarter-size sheet pan, and toast for 6-8 minutes. Be careful not to burn them!
Recipe Tips
Let the Sweet Potatoes Cool. You can use them at room temperature or chilled, but not while they’re still hot. Hot potatoes would wilt the greens. Try other types of cheese. Make your roasted sweet potato salad with feta, crumbled blue cheese, or any other soft cheese you enjoy! Add some kale or other greens. The easiest way to make this salad is by using prepared spring mix greens, but you can easily switch it up by using baby kale, spinach, or arugula. Each different green brings its own texture and flavor to this salad, so try them all! Serve right away. Salads with fresh greens in them don’t store well, so be sure to assemble and dress the salad just before serving it.
Make Ahead Sweet Potato Salad Instructions
If you’d like to prepare this salad in advance, you can prep the ingredients and wait to mix and dress it at the last minute.
Roasted sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dressing can be made and kept in a jar in the fridge for up to three days as well. Toasted pecans are best when made fresh, but you can make them a day or so ahead of time if you need to. When you are ready, add the sweet potatoes and pecans to a bowl with greens, and sliced avocado. Dress with the dressing, add goat cheese, and serve!
What To Serve With Sweet Potato Salad
This salad goes perfectly with grilled or roasted meat. The salad has veggies and healthy carbohydrates from the sweet potatoes, and some protein from nuts and cheese, but I’d add more protein to make it a full and satisfying meal.
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To keep things vegetarian, you can enjoy this salad with a veggie omelet or add your favorite beans, lentils, or vegan protein to the mix. Sweet Potato Salad is an amazing vegetarian side dish, and it’s healthy too! Keep this recipe in mind as you’re planning your holiday meals, summer parties, and everyday dinners, and be sure to Pin it so you don’t lose it! © Little Sunny Kitchen
