Savory Sweet Potato Salad is a mouth-watering sweet potato salad with arugula, pomegranate, dried cherries, quinoa, and pepitas in apple cider vinaigrette. It represents every flavor of the palate and makes the perfect holiday dinner side dish.
Sweet potato salad has been a favorite holiday side dish for the past few years and it's a hit! As a kid, we always had candied sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, and I loved them. But, it's way too sweet for a holiday side dish now that I'm an adult...with a waistline...that I'd like to keep 😂 This sweet potato salad...it's lightly sweet, tart, savory, crunchy, and peppery all at once! It's a must-have holiday recipe for the sweet potato lovers out there.
Savory Sweet Potato Salad Ingredients
* see recipe card below for FULL PRINTABLE recipe
- quinoa
- sweet potatoes
- raw pepitas
- arugula
- pomegranate seeds
- dried cherries
- apple cider vinegar
- extra virgin olive oil
- maple syrup
- salt and pepper
How to make Sweet Potato Salad
* see recipe card below for FULL PRINTABLE recipe
- Step 1. Cook the quinoa and allow to cool.
- Step 2. Cook the sweet potato (recipe includes microwave and oven-roasting instructions).
- Step 3. Toast the pumpkin seeds.
- Step 4. Whisk together salad dressing ingredients and refrigerate.
- Step 5. To serve, toss all ingredients together...and devour!
You can prep each ingredient up to a few days in advance, store them separately in the refrigerator, and toss everything together just before your throwdown goes down.
Once this salad is dressed, it needs to be served immediately as the arugula wilts over time.
Sweet potato salad - flavor and texture galore!
When you get a bite of this salad with morsels of each ingredient, you'll get savory from the sweet potatoes and pumpkin seeds and slightly bitter flavor from the arugula, tart from the pomegranate, sweetness from the sweet potatoes and dried cherries, and maple dressing, all perfectly balanced with a touch of salt.
Recommneded tools
- chef knife and cutting board
- saucepot or Instant Pot (to cook quinoa)
- oven or microwave (to cook sweet potato)
- small bowl and whisk (for salad dressing)
- salad serving bowl
More holiday recipes
- Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Pomegranate Cranberry Relish
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Savory Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1/2 cup dry Quinoa or 1 cup cooked
- 1 medium Sweet Potato
- 1/4 cup Pepitas
- 2 cups Baby Arugula
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate Arils
- 1/4 cup Dried Cherries lightly chopped
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 Tbsp Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Maple Syrup
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper to taste
Recipe Instructions
- Cook dry QUINOA according to package instructions; allow to cool.
To cook the sweet potatoes
- In the oven:Peel skin, chop into cubes, toss in extra virgin olive oil, and bake at 400° until tender (about 10-14 minutes); allow to cool before adding to the salad.In the microwave:Pierce raw SWEET POTATO several times with a knife; place in the microwave; cook on high until tender (5-8 minutes); allow to cool; remove skin; chop into bite-sized pieces; allow to cool before adding to the salad.
Toast the pepitas
- Place PEPITAS on a baking tray under low-flame broiler in oven or toaster oven; gently toast until fragrant (be careful, they burn easily).
Apple cider vinaigrette
- In a bowl, whisk together APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, OLIVE OIL, MAPLE SYRUP, SALT, and PEPPER; cover and chill up until needed.
- To serve, toss together QUINOA, SWEET POTATO, ARUGULA, PUMPKIN SEEDS, POMEGRANATE ARILS, DRIED CHERRIES, and VINAIGRETTE.
Nutrition
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My new favorite any potato salad - thank goodness the family feels the same!
Yay! So glad you and your family love it...and thanks for popping in to let me know 🙂 I really appreciate it!
CAn you skip the quinoa? Please advise.
Hi Midge, you can totally leave the quinoa out. No problem...enjoy!
This salad has everything we look for. Color, Flavors and healthiness. Perfect for Thanksgiving too.
Thanks Sandi! Yes, it has all of those things going on 🙂 All my favs!
Wow! Fall on a plate in such a GORGEOUS way! Can't wait to try this.
Thanks Jennifer! Hope you love it like I do!
I love all the ingredients in this salad. Plus it looks so pretty - perfect for Fall entertaining!
Thanks Jill! It is perfect for fall 🙂
This salad has it all! Oh my goodness, I wish I had a plate of it RIGHT NOW! So craving sweet potatoes after all those yummy photos!!
Thanks Kelly! Love the kind words 🙂
This salad looks so hearty and delicious! I love autumn salads and yours looks absolutely perfect!!
Thanks Elaine! Love hearing that...hope you get to try it out sometime 🙂
Love everything about this salad! It will be a beautiful addition to the Thanksgiving table!
Thanks Taylor! We love it for holiday feasts 🙂
Where I live, it still feels like summer. I'm so ready to start pulling out fall recipes, but it's too dang hot! This recipe is perfect! I can get all those yummy fall flavors without breaking a sweat.
Haha yep! You sure can! It's good through the winter too 🙂
So many Fall flavors! It looks fantastic!
Thanks Michelle!
this is FALL right here! looks delicious
Thanks Rebecca!
I could eat this for lunch every day! Love the pomegranate -- I actually have one on my counter right now... Will have to make this!
Yay Lisa! Hope you love it like I do! Served it up for Thanksgiving last year...it was a hit 🙂
I LOVE a good salad to take on during the fall season. This looks like absolute perfection.
You're makin my day with comments like that! Thank you 🙂
What a beautiful and flavorful salad! The sweet and tangy go perfectly together.
Thank you! Yes, that was the goal...thanks for saying so 🙂
I feel like you've found the most incredible flavor combo on this! I'm especially loving the addition of arugula!
Thank you! Yes, I totally agree with you on the flavor combo...it was a happy accident a few years ago. And I'm hooked for life! 🙂
This salad is packed with flavor and all of my favorite ingredients. LOVE! ...especially that pomegranate mmm!
Thank you! I cannot resist this salad during the fall season... the pomegranate makes it!