We eat a lot of entree salads in the summer because they are light and fresh and can be prepared without heating up the kitchen when it’s so hot outside. However, in the Fall, when the temperature begins to dip, I tend to relegate salad to a side dish and to prepare richer, heartier meals such as soups, roasts, etc., instead. The exception to my Fall meal plan is a Quick And Easy Hearty Sweet Potato Salad. It can be on the table in 30 minutes, it’s packed with colorful autumnal ingredients, and it’s substantial enough to serve as an entree. The key to making this salad quickly is using pre-cut sweet potato cubes, which are readily available in most grocery store produce departments nowadays.
Quick And Easy Hearty Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. Sweet potato cubes
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup Dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup Sherry or white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 oz. Baby arugula
- 1/2 cup Halved pecans toasted
- 4 oz. Crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place sweet potato cubes on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and toss until the potatoes are fully coated. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning once until tender and slightly browned.
While the potatoes are roasting, make the vinaigrette by combining the sherry vinegar, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the extra virgin olive oil. Wisk together until thick and emulsified.
Place arugula in a salad bowl. Add the roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and goat cheese. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Serve immediately while the sweet potatoes are still warm.
As an entree, I like to serve this salad with a crusty piece of garlic toast. However, the beautiful autumnal colors and flavors in this salad also make it a perfect side salad for your Thanksgiving dinner.
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This looks so good! Seems like a perfect winter week night meal with enough sweetness that I might actually convince my kids to eat some veggies with minimal whining! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for commenting. The roasted sweet potatoes are indeed sweet at satisfying. I love the play of the peppery arugula, creaminess of the goat cheese, the crunch of the pecans with the sweetness of the potatoes and the dried cherries. However, for picky kids, you could just serve them the sweet potatoes since they are extremely nutritious on their own.
Pretty and tasty . love sweet potatoes and think i will try it with some butternut squash too.
Thanks so much. I think you will really love this salad. It would be great with butternut squash as well.
Yep, this will be a must try. It has all the things I love. I have even grown some arugula this fall. Arugula is so easy to grow in a pot. Thank you Lisa for this tasty recipe.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I had no idea you could grow Arugula in a pot. I love Arugula and will definitely have to give it a try.
That looks so delicious Lisa. All those colors and I love sweet potato. Pinning to try with our next braai 😉
Thanks, Michelle. I hope you try it. It’s really a great combination of fall flavors–it’s especially nice when the sweet potatoes are still warm from the oven.
Definitely a salad I would try. We are arugula fans and the sweetness of the sweet potato cubes and dried cranberries should be delicious. What a lovely holiday salad
Thanks so much for your kind comment. I have served this salad as a first course for Thanksgiving and it is always a hit.
Yummmm! Looks delish!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it!
I love this salad packed full of fall flavors! Can’t wait to give it a try – thanks so much for sharing with Party in Your PJs!
Thanks, Lynda. I think you will really like the salad. I make it all the time in the fall because it is so tasty and easy to prepare. Thanks also for hosting Party In Your PJs and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!