This sweet potato salad recipe is colorful and delicious! Roasted potatoes, vegetables and cranberries create the perfect sweet and savory mix.
Looking for a delicious salad with everyone’s favorite root vegetables? try that Sweet Potato Salad! You won’t be able to stop scooping bites of this healthy side dish (at least we couldn’t). The contrast of garlic-roasted diced sweet potatoes, feathery arugula, cranberries, and creamy goat cheese was stunning. Top it with a savory honey-mustard vinaigrette and you’ll want to park in front of the bowl.
Elements of this Sweet Potato Salad recipe
There are many types of sweet potato salads. In fact, there’s a popular Arabian sweet potato salad made with onions, cinnamon, and raisins. One of our own creations, this Sweet Potato Salad recipe uses our favorite roasted sweet potatoes with a mix of fall and winter produce. But it works any time of the year! Here’s what you need:
Tips for preparing roasted sweet potatoes
The longest element in this sweet potato salad recipe is roasting the potatoes! This salad is based around these roasted sweet potatoes: our master method of cooking them until they’re caramelized and tender. Here are some pointers for this method:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweet potatoes are best roasted at very high heat, which produces the best caramelization (called the Maillard reaction).
- Cut the sweet potatoes into 3/4 inch pieces. It might sound oddly specific, but it’s the perfect size for bite-sized pieces. (Cut them too small and they’ll shrivel in the oven.)
- Season with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. See the recipe below for more details.
- Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 25 minutes until tender. Stirring is not necessary! Throw them in and they roast like a charm.
Two variants: potato salad vs. plate salad
You can serve this sweet potato salad two ways: in a bowl or as a plate salad. Here are the differences:
- The main method is like a cross between a potato salad and a green salad. It’s mostly sweet potatoes with some baby arugula.
- Want more of a green salad? Make the plate salad variation. Add a few cups of mesclun to the baby arugula. Place the vegetables on a plate, then add the sweet potatoes and drizzle with the dressing.
Only use baby vegetables!
This sweet potato salad is based around using baby greens. Why? Small arugula has a nice feathery texture and a mild flavor. Ripe arugula is sold in bundles and tastes very spicy! Do not use it as a replacement. If you need a substitute, use any type of baby greens: spinach or mesclun.
Small arugula is sold in cases or bags in the vegetable aisle. Stay away from anything sold in groups!
Sweet Potato Dressings
This sweet potato salad recipe tastes great with lots of dressing options. Our favorite is the honey mustard vinaigrette, but there’s plenty to choose from. Here are some options:
When should it be served?
Let us know if you try this Sweet Potato Salad: It’s one of our new favorite recipes and everyone loves it when we make it! It would be perfect for serving:
More sweet potato recipes
do you like sweet potatoes Here are some popular sweet potato recipes for all seasons:
The description
This sweet potato salad recipe is colorful and delicious! Roasted potatoes, vegetables and cranberries create the perfect sweet and savory mix.
- 2 pound sweet potatoes (approx. 4 Middle)
- 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons Honey Mustard Vinaigrette (or Balsamic Vinaigrette or Orange Vinaigrette for vegans)
- 2 cups Baby arugula (not standard arugula*, more 2 at 3 cups of mixed leafy greens for the plate salad variant)
- 1/2 medium shallot, thinly sliced into crescents
- ¼ cup dried cranberries or cherries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup Feta or crumbled goat cheese (optional)
- Fry the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes, leaving the skin on. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the sweet potatoes evenly on it. Bake until the cubes are tender and golden on the bottom, about 25 minutes. (You can make the roasted sweet potatoes ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve: bring them to room temperature before preparing the salad, or heat in a 350-degree oven until slightly tender.)
- Meanwhile, prepare the honey mustard vinaigrette.
- When ready to assemble the salad, in a bowl, toss the roasted sweet potatoes with baby arugula, shallots, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta or goat cheese, and 6 tablespoons dressing. Mix, then serve. (Plate salad variant: Add 2-3 more cups of mixed greens. Arrange vegetables on plates, top with potatoes, cranberries, shallot seeds and cheese and drizzle with dressing.)
Remarks
* Be sure to buy baby arugula, which has a feather-like texture. Ripe arugula in the bunch is way too spicy. Substitute any baby greens, such as baby spinach or mixed leafy greens.
- Category: salad
- Method: roast meat
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Sweet Potato Salad, Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
