Sweet Potato Salad

This Sweet Potato Salad combines caramelized roasted sweet potatoes, tangy maple-Dijon dressing, crunchy toasted pecans, and a generous crumble of soft cheese. It's easy to throw together and seriously delicious.

Ingredients

Salad

6 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (2 lbs.)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (Note 2)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

½ cup dates (thinly sliced) or dried cranberries

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

¾ cup goat cheese (or feta)

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Fine sea salt & pepper

Instructions

SWEET POTATOES: Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel and cube potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Add sweet potatoes, oil, syrup, salt, and cinnamon to a 15×21 inch sheet pan. Mix well to coat with your hands then space out so potatoes have plenty of room. Roast for 15 min.

Toss the mixture well and redistribute in an even layer. Return to the oven and roast for another 8-12 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the pecans are fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

DRESSING: Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a jar; shake well. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper) Refrigerate until ready to use; shake before use.

SALAD: Important: Only assemble the amount of salad you plan to consume immediately. The salad does not store well once assembled and dressed.

Toss greens with a few tablespoons of dressing. Add sweet potatoes and pecans, dates or cranberries, and goat cheese. Drizzle on more dressing. (Just add until coated to personal preference; you likely won't need it all!) Gently toss and serve promptly.

Notes

Note 1: Sheet pan: Use an extra-large, rimmed sheet pan. The more space the sweet potatoes have (the less-crowded they are), the better they roast in the oven. When vegetables are overlapping on a sheet pan, they end up steaming instead of roasting which results in softer, somewhat soggy veggies that take longer to cook.

Note 2: Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup (not artificially flavored pancake syrup). Pancake syrup will be overly sweet and is not the flavor we’re going for.