Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

I love this salad so much– and I’ve been craving it ever since I made it last week. It’s packed with so many plants– sweet potatoes, greens, cranberries, and quinoa. Tossed in a maple dijon dressing.

It’s a salad that screams fall; it’s hearty enough to be a meal but super flavorful. Like my apple harvest salad, winter wheat berry salad, and my squash, kale, and apple salad this one is simple enough to be a lunch or dinner but fancy enough for a holiday meal.

See below for more details on how to make this sweet potato and quinoa salad recipe, or scroll down to the full recipe.

A Hearty Salad Recipe

I try and eat a salad almost daily, mostly as a way to ensure that I’m getting in my leafy greens. As I often eat lunch alone, it’s the meal I have the most control over, and I can decide what I want without having to deal with my kids’ (or my husband’s) food preferences.

This sweet potato and quinoa salad is hearty enough to eat as a full meal, with plenty of fiber from the sweet potatoes and cooked quinoa and 13 g of protein from the quinoa.

If you want to enjoy this one for lunch, then I’d recommend making it for a meal prep. Cook the sweet potatoes, cook the quinoa, make the dressing. Then, right when you are ready to eat– toss together the greens with the potatoes, quinoa and dressing with the greens.

Ingredient Notes and Substitution Considerations

• Sweet Potato: I really like the sweet potatoes here, but you can use butternut squash or even another kind of squash if you’d like instead of the sweet potatoes.
• Baby Greens: I use a mix of baby greens and spinach leaves here but you can do arugula, baby spinach or other tender greens.
• Quinoa: Quinoa adds a boost of fiber and protein, which I want in this hearty salad. However, you can also use another cooked grain—I think farro or millet would be great in this.
• Goat Cheese: I like goat cheese and feta in many of my salads, as they have a nice, creamy texture that pairs well with the cooked veggies and greens. However, for a dairy-free option, I’d recommend a dairy-free feta, like the one Violife makes. You can also sub in a ripe avocado.
• Cranberries: Cranberries were made for fall recipes and pair very well with kale! (Try my roasted cranberry, kale, and wild rice salad)You can also omit them.

Tips for Success

You want the sweet potatoes to be well-seasoned as they are the star of this sweet potato and quinoa salad. A mix of savory spices with a pinch of cinnamon helps to bring out the warmth in this salad recipe: chili powder, cumin, cayenne.

Make sure to toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and spices to coat the sweet potatoes evenly. Then, roast until tender. This can be done ahead of time and enjoyed either warm, cold or at room temperature.

The maple dijon salad dressing pairs really well with the quinoa and sweet potatoes. I like to make a big batch of this for salads throughout the week as it’s great with almost any salad, especially a fall salad like this sweet potato and quinoa one.

Make sure to whisk the minced garlic clove into the Dijon mustard and vinegar until almost dissolved. This helps prevent any chunks of garlic in the dressing, which can be off-putting.

Once the garlic, dijon and vinegar are dissolved, keep whisking them as you add olive oil. This helps to create an emulsion, which makes for a creamy dressing without the cream.

More Satisfying Salad Recipes

• Ranch Salad with BBQ Tofu
• Horiatiki Salad
• Southwestern Quinoa Salad
• Taco Salad with Quinoa Taco Meat

If you make this sweet potato and quinoa salad recipe, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!