This Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad is bursting with hearty flavors and is the perfect main meal or side dish. Sweet potatoes, one of my favorite seasonal vegetables, add natural sweetness and warmth, perfectly complementing the earthy quinoa and creating a deliciously hearty base.
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I love bringing this salad to Friendsgiving and holiday parties because it’s always a crowd-pleaser. With each bite, there’s a satisfying combination of roasted veggies, nutty quinoa, and crunchy sunflower seeds, making it versatile enough to serve as either a main dish or a side.
Best of all, it comes together in under 30 minutes, which makes it a quick, go-to option for any busy fall day. Whether you’re prepping for a festive feast or a cozy dinner at home, this salad is packed with flavor that is perfect for any fall table.
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Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes. Using freshly peeled and chopped sweet potatoes. You can also use butternut squash or cubed pumpkin.
- Quinoa. White, red, black, or tri-colored quinoa will all work in this salad. Use your favorite or the type you can find in your grocery store. Learn how to cook quinoa with this simple tutorial.
- Feta cheese. Cheese adds a tangy, creamy savoriness to this salad and balances all the flavors. You can try goat cheese or vegan cheese for a vegan option.
- Olive oil. Using a high-quality olive oil to make a homemade salad dressing makes a world of difference.
- Lemon juice. Lemon adds a touch of acidity to brighten the dressing. If needed, try substituting with 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Fresh Spinach. I used fresh spinach but any leafy green would work. Try kale, chard, romaine, shaved Brussels, beet greens, or a mixture of lettuce greens.
- Pumpkin Seeds. For added texture, add pumpkin seeds. You can also use chopped pecans, walnuts, slivered almonds, or pine nuts.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Season the potatoes with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Once tender, remove from the oven and set aside.
Step 2: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, pepper and oil.
Step 3: In a large bowl, add the baby spinach, roasted sweet potato, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and feta cheese.
Step 4: Pour the salad dressing overtop, then toss to combine and serve this roasted sweet potato salad immediately as a main or side dish.
Air Fryer Method
If you'd like to roast your sweet potatoes in the air fryer instead of the oven, use my Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes post as a cooking guide. Or, if you opt to use butternut squash, use my Air Fried Butternut Squash recipe!
Sarah's Top Tips
- Combine right before serving. If you are serving this sweet potato salad for dinner, I recommend tossing and dressing right before serving. This will prevent the salad ingredients from getting soggy and taste as fresh as possible.
- Make the quinoa and sweet potatoes ahead of time. This will speed up the prep time and make it easy to throw this salad together in 5 minutes.
- Store the dressing and salad in separate containers if making this recipe for meal prep.
- A lot of pre-packaged quinoa you find at the store may be pre-rinsed but if not, you can rinse it the same as you would with rice. Quinoa is coated with saponin, a natural compound that can make it taste bitter. Rinsing it will remove this bitterness.
Serving
This quinoa and sweet potato salad makes the perfect meatless meal, but it can also be served with lemon pepper chicken in the air fryer, cranberry orange chicken, and dijon mustard sauce chicken.
Storage & Reheating
- Sweet potatoes can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Before freezing, allow the sweet potatoes to cool completely on a wire rack. This will allow air to circulate and prevent condensation build-up.
- Make sure you store the dressing separately to avoid the salad from getting soggy if you have leftovers.
- If you want warm quinoa or potatoes, reheat the quinoa in the microwave for about 1 minute. The potatoes can be warmed in the oven at 350 degrees F for a few minutes.
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Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Quinoa
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
- Cutting board
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Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 5 ounce package baby spinach
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- ⅓ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
Maple Dijon Salad Dressing
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430 degrees F.
- Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1-inch pieces and spread them out onto a baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Remove the sweet potatoes and let them cool while assembling the salad.
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
- Make the salad dressing by combining the ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk the combine then pour over the salad.
- Toss the salad and enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Combine right before serving. If you are serving this sweet potato salad for dinner, I recommend tossing and dressing right before serving. This will prevent the salad ingredients from getting soggy and taste as fresh as possible.
- Make the quinoa and sweet potatoes ahead of time. This will speed up the prep time and make it easy to throw this salad together in 5 minutes.
- Store the dressing and salad in separate containers if making this recipe for meal prep.
- A lot of pre-packaged quinoa you find at the store may be pre-rinsed but if not, you can rinse it the same as you would with rice. Quinoa is coated with saponin, a natural compound that can make it taste bitter. Rinsing it will remove this bitterness.
- Sweet potatoes can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Before freezing, allow the sweet potatoes to cool completely on a wire rack. This will allow air to circulate and prevent condensation build-up.
- Make sure you store the dressing separately to avoid the salad from getting soggy if you have leftovers.
- If you want warm quinoa or potatoes, reheat the quinoa in the microwave for about 1 minute. The potatoes can be warmed in the oven at 350 degrees F for a few minutes.
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