A delicious salad filled with roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, leaf greens and toasted pecans.
Roasted sweet potato salad is perfect as a main dish for lunch or dinner or serve in smaller portions as a side dish. Easy to pack for a quick lunch away from home.
A tasty salad
Talk about delicious! This sweet potato salad is filled with so many amazing flavors and textures!
First there's the sweet potatoes. Oven roasted brings out the natural sweetness and they have so much flavor! You could also use leftover roasted butternut squash instead of the sweet potatoes.
Then there's the quinoa. Just a bit to add some extra nutrition. There's also mixed baby greens, sliced red onions and toasted pecans. Everything is covered with a simple maple vinaigrette.
This salad is great served as a side dish or a main dish. I also like to pack it up into individual containers and take in my lunch. So easy and you'll feel good what you've got in your lunch box!
You can feel good about eating this salad!
Key ingredients
Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
Dressing
- Olive oil - choose an oil that's not too heavily flavored.
- White wine vinegar - can also use apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- Maple syrup - adds just a touch of sweetness
- Dijon mustard - adds a bit of spice and helps blend the dressing together
Salad
- Sweet potato - the sweet potato is roasted and brings out the natural flavors and sweetness of the potato
- Quinoa - cooked and cooled
- Baby salad greens - use any type of green available
- Toasted pecans - adds great crunch and flavor
- Red onion - can also use shallot or a white onion
Step by step directions
How to make it
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Make the dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic and salt in a jar with a lid. Place lid on top and shake until everything is well mixed.
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces
- Cover with a bit of olive oil
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 30-35 minutes
- Once potatoes are cooked through and slightly browned, remove from oven and let cool
- Toast pecans in a saute pan over medium low heat. Heat just until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
- Place greens, sliced onion, quinoa and cooled sweet potatoes in a bowl
- Pour dressing over salad and gently toss to coat
- Add pecans and serve
Recipe tips
- Make certain sweet potatoes are cooled so they don't wilt the greens
- If you're not certain how to cook quinoa, check out this post - How to cook Quinoa
- Add dressing just before serving
- If making ahead of time, store ingredients in separate containers and then combine just before serving
- You will most likely have leftover roasted sweet potatoes, depending on the size of your potato. Use for breakfast with fried eggs, reheat and serve as a side dish, or make this salad again and use up the leftover potatoes!
Variations and substitions
This is an easy going salad. Add what you like and omit anything you don't like or don't have on hand.
- Use your favorite type of lettuce green - use all spinach, kale or romaine lettuce
- Add microgreens
- Any type of quinoa can be used
- Pecans, walnuts, almonds or pine nuts all work
- Use green onions instead of red onions
- Add dried cranberries or chopped apples
- Use your favorite vinaigrette
Recipe Faqs
Peeling sweet potatoes or not is entirely up to you. I peeled mine before roasting and adding to this salad.
Once roasted and cooled, sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-5 days.
How to meal prep this salad
This is a great salad to prepare ahead of time, but there are a few tips to follow. When packing for an individual salad, pack most ingredients in separate containers.
- Pack lettuce and onions together in one container
- Place dressing in a leak proof container
- Quinoa, sweet potatoes and pecans can each go in their own containers or use a container with a divider
- At meal time, combine everything together and toss well with the dressing
More delicious salad recipes
- Southwest Quinoa Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Oriental Chicken Salad
- Black Bean Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Asparagus Orzo Salad
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my salad recipes!
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Dressing
- Place all dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid. Place lid on and shake vigorously until everything is well combined.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ⅛ teaspoon salt
Salad
- Peel and cut the sweet potato into evenly sized pieces1 sweet potato
- Cover with a bit of olive oil2 tablespoons olive oil
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 30-35 minutes
- Once potatoes are cooked through and slightly browned, remove from oven and let cool
- Toast pecans in a saute pan over medium low heat. Heat just until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool.2 tablespoons pecans
- Place greens, sliced onion, quinoa and about 1 cup of the cooled sweet potatoes in a bowl4 cups baby greens, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup quinoa
- Pour dressing over salad and gently toss to coat
- Add pecans and serve
Notes
- Make certain sweet potatoes are cooled so they don't wilt the greens
- If you're not certain how to cook quinoa, check out this post - How to cook Quinoa
- Add dressing just before serving
- If making ahead of time, store ingredients in separate containers and then combine just before serving
- You will most likely have leftover roasted sweet potatoes, depending on the size of your potato. Use for breakfast with fried eggs, reheat and serve as a side dish, or make this salad again and use up the leftover potatoes!
- Use your favorite type of lettuce green - use all spinach, kale or romaine lettuce
- Add microgreens
- Any type quinoa can be used
- Pecans, walnuts, almonds or pine nuts all work
- Use leftover roasted butternut squash
- Use green onions instead of red onions
- Add dried cranberries
- Use your favorite vinaigrette
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
amy says
We had this for dinner and the recipe is terrific! Thanks for posting!
Kathy says
Thanks so much!!! I really appreciate you letting me know!
Kathy 🙂
David @ Spiced says
I really should use quinoa more often! I like the idea of combining quinoa with greens here - this salad sounds fantastic, Kathy. And it's a great option for January - i.e. "holiday detox month" Haha!
Kathy says
Yes! My daughter has been making all sorts of unique salads using so many different ingredients, including sweet potatoes. Quinoa is so easy to make a big batch and store in the fridge to add to so many dishes. I love it on salads!