Perfect match: golden roasted sweet potato, rocket / arugula, feta or goats cheese, pecans and a drizzle of Honey Lemon Dressing. This Roasted Sweet Potato salad is worthy of a meal or as a side for an occasion – especially if you add a little sprinkle of bacon!
AN IRRESISTIBLE SWEET POTATO SALAD!
This is a terrific “meaty” salad that’s loaded with fantastic textures and flavours, and is filling enough to serve as a main.
The combination of peppery fresh rocket / arugula leaves, the sweet potato with the caramelised edges, the soft crunch of pecans with the salty feta then finished with lemony honey dressing is irresistible. One bite, and you’ll go back for more and more!
THE BEST WAY TO ROAST SWEET POTATOES
Every time I roast sweet potatoes, I wonder why I don’t make it more often. So juicy and soft on the inside, naturally sweet, and caramelises beautifully on the outside. I can’t think of another vegetable that caramelises this well. Not even pumpkin – it gets too mushy before it caramelises like this.
I’ve experimented roasting sweet potatoes in various ways, and I find I get the best results using olive oil and roasting it in a stinking hot oven. While butter has a lovely flavour, it burns at high oven temperatures. I’ve tried using a mix of butter and oil too, but still found that the butter became too bitter.
Though sweet potato is already sweet, it pairs perfectly with a Honey Lemon Dressing. I promise it’s not too sweet! I’m a savoury girl, so I’m very particular about the level of sweetness in savoury foods. The honey just takes the edge off the sharpness of the lemon, as well as thickening it so the dressing clings to the salad.
I’ve made this a ridiculous number of times over the past month or so. It’s my current obsession. I’m really into salads at the moment. Salads as meals. I’ve got a few more favorites coming up in the next few weeks, I hope you like them!
This is also a salad that regularly has a place during holiday feasting. Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. 🙂 It’s a terrific side because it’s something a little more interesting that the usual garden salad, and it’s a total crowd pleaser.
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
MORE AMAZING POTATO RECIPES
- Lemon Potato Salad – a terrific mayo free potato salad!
- Spiral Sweet Potato Bake
- Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes (and I mean seriously crunchy!)
- Crispy SMASHED Potatoes – a crowd favourite!
- Fondant Sweet Potatoes – roasted in stock for a savoury kick
- Parmesan Crusted Potatoes
- Greek Lemon Potatoes
- See all Potato recipes
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Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potato
- 600 – 700 g / 1.2 – 1.4 lb sweet potato , peeled (2 medium)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Salad
- 100 g / 3.5 oz rocket salad / arugula (~3 handfuls)
- 1/2 cup (70g / 5 oz) pecans
- 1 tsp oil
- 100 g / 3.5 oz bacon , chopped (I used lean)
- 60 g / 2 oz Goats Cheese or Danish feta (Note 1)
Honey Lemon Dressing
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp lemon juice , fresh
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C / 430F.
- Cut sweet potato into 1.5cm / 3/5″ thick slices. Cut the larger rounds in half (into semi circles).
- Place in a bowl, drizzle over oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Pour onto baking tray.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then use an egg flip to turn and roast for a further 10 minutes or until golden.
- Meanwhile, place Dressing ingredients in a jar, mix with a teaspoon (to get honey off the base) then shake well until combined.
- Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium high heat for 3 minutes, or until they smell nutty.
- Remove pecans, then heat 1 tsp oil. Add bacon and cook until golden.
- To assemble, place everything in a bowl, reserving some bacon, pecans and goats cheese for garnish. Drizzle with most of the dressing, then toss gently.
- Transfer into a serving bowl, garnish with remaining bacon, pecans and goats cheese. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
What? Dozer doesn’t like sweet potato peel? 😮
Excellent recipe, tried the first time for a lunch and it was completely wiped out!
Can i roast the sweet potatoes a day in advance and assemle the salad next day before serving?
Yes. I always make a couple of hours early and hen dress just befire serving.
Can i roast the sweetpotatoes a day in advance
Can thepotatoesbemadr ahead, or are they supposed to be hot when served?
An excellent recipe! I made this today for a family gathering for Christmas (in Australia) and it was very well received. Easy to prepare too – highly recommended!
This is a excellent recipe. We always have most of the ingredients in the cupboard. We have it with and without bacon, mostly use danish feta and use walnuts or pinenuts depending what we have on hand. Once you make it once you will make it over and over again!
That’s so great to hear Brenda! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
I’ve tried baking sweet potato in the oven and it always fails. Gets stuck to the pan and soggy sometimes. What am I doing wrong? And I wonder if adding candied pecans would be an option or too sweet?
Hi Joanne! High heat is the trick to stop it sticking and going soggy. Mine are cooked at a fairly high temp, if you think your oven is a bit weak, crank it up even higher!
This recipe lives up to the high expectations set by my love of your Pork Carnitas! So delicious! And because I love bacon, I used some of the bacon grease in the dressing in place of the olive oil. Yum!
High praise Teena, thank you! I’m pleased to hear the bacon grease worked in place of the oil, when I tried that (and I have, for this exact recipe!) my dressing congealed because I let it go cold. 🙂 N xx
I made this with feta, only because it’s what I had in the fridge ? and never have been a big fan of sweet potatoes, but this is an entirely new taste sensation , there was a party going on in my mouth. Thank you
Fantastic to hear Donna! I’m SO glad you enjoyed it! N xx
Made this tonight with chicken. No bacon. I also added a bit of roughly cubed red onion and red sweet peppers to roast with the sweet potatoes. Tossed spinach with the salad dressing and roasted pecans before topping with veggies, feta, and chicken. Turned out awesome. Will make again! Thank you.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Kirsten, thanks for letting me know! N x
Served this for the big family Christmas lunch. Went down a treat, even though I omitted the bacon and only had regular fetta on hand. The dressing was a little too sweet for my taste so I just added a bit more lemon juice. Easy and delicious!
Hi SMT, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to tweak it to your taste, thank you for letting me know! ❤️ N xx
Another triumph Nagi! Used spinach instead of rocket and chicken tenderloins instead of bacon (boo) and the combo was beyond delicious! Where have toasted pecans been all my life?!
HIGH FIVE! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Julia, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Sensational Nagi. Had it as published and loved it, minus the pecans.
Tonight I mixed through some spiced chicken strips for my protein hit.
Love it, thanks
Woo hoo! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it Matt, thanks for letting me know! N x
Really lovely salad Nagi – Mr Beck commented on how much he loved the tangy dressing. I did make this without the bacon as I was having it as a side dish with some lamb, but I can imagine how excellent the bacon would be! And I used Danish feta as I had some left in the fridge and it was just yum. I think this might end up on the Christmas table this year…does the sweet potato hold it’s texture ok at room temperature rather than just out of the oven? I wouldn’t know as we scoffed the lot!!
Woo hoo!! I often make this with Danish feta too, I have it more often than I have goats cheese. 🙂 It holds up great at room temperature, the skin does get a bit wrinkled but doesn’t affect the flavour. Definitely serve at room temperature though, not cold. Cold sweet potato is not nice. Would be honoured if this makes it to your Christmas table!! N xx
DIRECTIONS SAY PEELED SWEET POTATO, DO YOU NOT PEEL YOUR NAGI?
My partner has a new love of sweet potatoes (I kept telling him they were awesome!) and now I have to make this salad! Thanks for the fabulous recipes – I’ve been drooling over them for a while and now I’ll be making them!
I hope you do! This really is so delish!! N x
Hi Nagi,
Thank You for so many wonderful recipes!
I made this sweet potato salad today and it was So delicious! Amazing flavors!!
I’ve tried many of your recipes and really love them all!
Best regards.
Woo hoo! So thrilled that you enjoyed this Mel, thanks for letting me know!
Sweet potato is the best! So much flavour and so good for you 🙂 I would totally have it as a meal!
Isn’t it just??? I love the sweet / salty thing!
Nagi, this is beautiful! I love sweet potatoes intact way more than when they’re mashed up, and this looks like a perfect recipe to enjoy sweet potatoes the way I like. I also love that you didn’t make this recipe super sweet; this way I can share it with my diabetic Grandma too. 🙂
Thanks hun! I actually rarely mash sweet potato, I much prefer normal mash! N x
Hi
I’m making this tonight, just wondering what type of mustard do u use in the dressing… or doesn’t it really matter?…. I have whole seed in the fridge would that b fine?
Thanks do much
Sorry for the late reply Tania! I’m so sorry for omitting that, I use Dijon 🙂
I used the whole grain, I had it, was still really yummy! The Dijon would of been better, just a bit more flavor probs…. but the meal was delish I also added sliced up rump to please the men eaters, I was asked if they could have it in their lunches tomorrow because it was so yum! Sadly no they can’t because there is none left!
It was the first time I have had goats cheese, I never knew what to really do with it…… oh my goodness have I been missing out!
Thanks again for another simply beautiful meal xxx
Fantastic! So glad to hear that Tania, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Thank YOU for yumi salad! What did YOU do to Dozer? Looks Tired did he work hard Or Had tast Of sweet salad….. Wish YOU Were here having parsly Forest. Making pesto and will freeze IT. Regards, Vera.
Ha! Dozer lives a life of luxury, never feel sorry for him!
This looks like a perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving potluck dinner. While the dressing sounds great, the honey adds way too much sugar so I’ll look for a non-sugary alternative!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ken! Yes you could leave out the honey if you want, perhaps just add a wee bit more mustard to thicken it 🙂 It definitely doesn’t make the salad too sweet though, I promise. Just takes the sharp edge off the lemon! N xx
I have to say I’ve tried sweet potatoes a few times now but not a huge fan of them. Looking at your salad I might give them a chance again. 🙂 Oh and I like the bacon there and I wouldn’t think of omitting it 🙂
Because, as I always say, bacon makes EVERYTHING BETTER!!!!!! 🙂