Sweet Potato Salad with Apples

Sweet Potato Salad recipe has roasted sweet potatoes, pecans, apples, and dried cranberries tossed in an easy maple mustard vinaigrette dressing. Flavorful and comforting Roasted Sweet Potato Salad is a vegan and a gluten free recipe that may be served warm or cold. 

Sweet Potato Salad is one of those versatile side dishes that can be served all year long. It’s the perfect make-ahead salad ideal for BBQs, potlucks, or family dinners because it can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. Plus, it contains no mayo!

Caramelized roasted sweet potatoes combined with crisp apples, crunchy pecans, and tangy cranberries also makes this dish ideal for the fall or Thanksgiving. The flavors of tender sweet potatoes, apples, and cranberries drizzled with maple mustard dressing has those essential autumn flavors.

How to Cook Sweet Potatoes for Salad

Through trial and error, roasting appears to be the best cooking method for sweet potatoes. Boiling sweet potatoes makes it hard to judge when they are cooked perfectly. They go from just fork tender to a mushy mess quickly. 

However, to make the best roasted sweet potatoes, don’t just bake the potatoes until they are soft. Follow these tips to get a nice caramelized exterior that holds up when mixing the salad.

1. Spray the pan first with cooking spray. Even though the sweet potatoes are tossed in olive oil, the cooking spray gives an extra barrier between the pan and vegetables sticking. 
2. Divide between two pans. Veggies brown when they have more room for the hot air to circulate around all sides. Avoid crowding one pan!
3. Use a hot oven. Bump up the temperature to 425ºF (218ºC) so they potatoes start to brown quickly, rather than steam.
4. Don’t pull them as soon as they are soft! You’ll end up with mushy sweet potatoes if you take them out as soon as they are “cooked.” I prefer roasting sweet potatoes longer to reach the next stage. The insides will be tender with the exterior is crispy and brown. 

How To Make Sweet Potato Salad 

1. Cut sweet potatoes in 1 inch cubes and divide between two baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss sweet potatoes to combine.
2. Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer so they aren’t touching. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Flip and toss, then bake 15 minutes more.
3. The potatoes should have crispy, caramelized exteriors with soft interiors.
4. Meanwhile whisk together vinaigrette ingredients – olive oil, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, stone ground mustard, dijon mustard, and minced chives.
5. In a large bowl place slightly cooled potatoes, apples, cranberries, and pecans. Gently toss with maple mustard dressing.

Additions or Substitutions

Adapt this easy sweet potato recipe for plenty of tastes and preferences!

• Add crisp, crumbled bacon right before serving
• Kale – Use fresh, massaged kale leaves or add leaves to the baking sheets for last 15 minutes of cooking.
• Cooked quinoa
• Sprinkle with feta, goat cheese, or fresh parmesan 
• Substitute cashews, walnuts, or pepitas for the pecans
• Like a bit of spice? Add a dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the mustard dressing
• Use minced red onions or green onions instead of chives
• Add fresh chopped bell peppers
• Substitute fresh lemon juice for the apple cider vinegar 

Serving Tips

Since Sweet Potato Salad doesn’t use mayo, no refrigeration is required. 

The tangy vinaigrette can be tossed with the warm sweet potatoes and served immediately. Alternatively, mix everything together and this dish will hold at room temperature for several hours.

If you need a make-ahead dish, or have leftovers to store, cover and refrigerate up to two days. The touch of apple cider vinegar in the dressing keeps the apples from turning unsightly brown.

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa