Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
In case you need a new recipe this year for Thanksgiving…this roasted sweet potato salad …shared in the Vue recipes…may be the addition you need.
A mixture of a few different recipes…you know how I am…made this final a new favorite.
Why this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad?
I know. You need the sweet potatoes with the marshmallows or brown sugar crumble…but…why not give this a try for those who might prefer desserts for the sugar content.
This one has different parts to create…which I would suggest to make and store separately until right before serving.
That leaves the roasted sweet potatoes the perfect texture, candied pecans crunchy and the flavors of all of the salad ingredients bright and fresh.
As I shared in last week’s Thanksgiving Dinner planning tips, start preparing the salad ingredients early. You can make the candied pecans a week or so in advance and the other parts the day before serving.
Then you just store each ingredient separate.
So much easier to toss together Thanksgiving Day.
First, candy the pecans.
An easy mixture of brown sugar, spices, butter and maple syrup heated before adding in the pecans for a few minutes to glaze them.
Spread them out in an even layer on parchment paper to cool and cut up before adding to a storage bag to store until adding to the salad. No need to refrigerate these.
Next, make roast the sweet potatoes.
Preheat your oven to 425°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then add your peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a single layer. Just spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
A simple roasting until their browned and tender is all needed to prep those sweet potatoes.
Just cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Prepare salad ingredients.
A quick measure of ingredients and dicing of red onion and celery is all the prep needed. Be sure to store each ingredient separately in storage bags and refrigerate until serving.
Then, make the vinaigrette.
Prep and whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette except the olive oil. Whisk the olive oil in last to form the vinaigrette. Chill in an airtight container until ready to serve the salad.
On the day of serving the salad?
To a large serving bowl, add and mix the roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, red onion, celery and Feta cheese. Right before serving, whisk the vinaigrette to emulsify again and pour over the salad to coat. Sprinkle in the glazed pecans and serve. Feel free to add in your favorite herbs, such as, sage, rosemary, thyme or parsley when serving.
So here’s the recipe:
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Equipment
- 1 large serving bowl
- 1 knife/cutting board
- 1 set Measuring cups/spoons
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 oven
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1/2 t ground black pepper
- 2 T olive oil, or more, if needed
Candied Pecans
- 1 1/2 lbs pecans
- 2 T butter
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t salt
- 2 T brown sugar
- 2 T maple syrup
Salad Ingredients
- 1 C dried cranberries
- 1/2 C red onion, diced and rinsed in cold water and drained to aid in flavor
- 1/2 C celery, diced
- 6 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
- Favorite herbs optional: rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme
Vinaigrette
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 C apple cider vinegar
- 2 T maple syrup
- 2 T brown sugar
- 2 T orange juice
- 1 zest orange
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1/2 t black pepper
- 1/2 C olive oil
Instructions
Sweet Potato Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper. Spray paper with a baking spray or drizzle with olive oil.
- Add even layer of cubed sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are brown and tender.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before adding to an airtight container in the fridge until serving.
Candied Pecans
- Add butter, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a nonstick skillet and combine over medium heat.
- Stir in pecans to coat and stir for about 5-6 minutes until they are coated and glazed.
- Remove from heat and pour out onto parchment paper in an even layer until cool.
- When pecans are cooled, cut into pieces, separating the glaze, as well.
- Store in an airtight zippered bag- not in the fridge- until ready to add to the salad.
Salad Ingredients
- Measure out 1 C dried cranberries and add to storage bag.
- Dice a red onion and rinse in a colander under cold water and drain completely before adding to a storage bag. NOTE: this improves the flavor before adding to the salad. Store in the fridge.
- Dice the celery and add to a separate zippered bag and to the fridge until putting the salad together.
- Crumble the Feta cheese and add to another storage bag and refrigerate until serving time for the salad.
Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk minced garlic, vinegar, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, mustard, salt and pepper until well mixed.
- Slowly whisk in the olive to form a vinaigrette.
- Chill the vinaigrette in an airtight container until ready to serve. Whisk again right before serving.
Putting the Salad Together
- When ready to serve, add to a large serving bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, red onion, celery, and Feta cheese.
- Right before serving, add in the glazed pecans. Whisk the vinaigrette to emulsify and then pour over the salad ingredients and toss to coat.
- Optional: add in your favorite herbs to add even more fall flavor- rosemary, sage, thyme, or parsley.
- Serve immediately.Add to small serving bowls, if you prefer.
- NOTE: If you'd like to warm the sweet potatoes to serve the salad warm, add them back to the oven on a baking sheet to reheat for a few minutes. Then add in the other ingredients and serve.
Notes
How to serve this salad?
If you’d like to make the salad an hour or so before your meal, mix together and then put into small individual serving bowls if you are serving as a side…or in larger bowls if you are serving as an entree.
This is such a surprising one that I fell in love with the textures, crunch and flavors. All the flavors of fall from roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, glazed pecans, cinnamon, red onion, celery, and fresh herbs…with the addition of the bright citrus vinaigrette and feta that takes it to a next level.
And if you love that cute little dish to serve individual salads or desserts? Here you go!
Hope you enjoy this one, friends! Happy Thanksgiving!
As an Amazon, Walmart and LTK affiliate, at times I may provide affiliate links to products that may offer an easier way to find products that I mention or use. Same price for you, but beneficial to this blog and at times, may offer compensation if you use them to shop. See my disclosure policy here.
You May Also Like
The EASIEST DIY Christmas Ornaments
Our Most Favorite Winter Tortellini Soup
