This roasted beetroot and sweet potato salad is great for fall. It's tasty, healthy, and easy to make. It can be made ahead and assembled at the last minute.
When the weather gets cooler, I enjoy this roasted beetroot and sweet potato salad a lot. It's a filling dish made with seasonal ingredients. The sweet potatoes and beets are baked with spices; they are flavorful, crispy, and soft. Adding cheese, crunchy seeds, and peppery arugula makes the salad even better, with many different textures and flavors.
This salad is also great for making ahead of time, whether for meal prep or special dinners. You can roast the vegetables, make the dressing in advance, and assemble them just before serving.
With a simple olive oil and maple syrup dressing, this dish becomes a filling and healthy meal or side dish everyone will love! Well, except for the kids, I think both beets and sweet potatoes are too much of a challenge for children… Make some Instant Pot Chicken Legs or Crispy Panko Chicken for the kids.
Check out Apple Beet Salad or Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes.
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Recipe ingredients
Roasted vegetables: Raw beetroot, sweet potatoes, red onion, dates, olive oil, and spices. Check the Baked Sweet Potato Slices, too.
Salad: Arugula, feta, and pine nuts. Use fresh, high-quality feta from a block of cheese, not the pre-crumbled kind. Try this amazing Arugula Quinoa Salad, too.
Dressing ingredients: The juice of 1 orange, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), Dijon mustard, garlic cloves, thyme, salt and ground black pepper.
Variations
Substitute arugula with baby spinach, watercress, or other leafy greens mix you like.
Substitute feta cheese with Parmesan shavings or crumbled goat cheese.
Use other roasted nuts or seeds, such as almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
How to make beetroot and sweet potato salad?
Cut the beets into slightly smaller pieces than the sweet potatoes since they take a bit longer to cook. The sweet potato cubes will become softer and slightly caramelized at the edges, while the beets will stay just a bit firmer, creating a great contrast. The vegetables should be fork-tender; if not, let them roast for a few more minutes.
Step #1: Chop the vegetables, mix them with a little olive oil and spices, and spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast them for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add the dates and roast for 10 more minutes.
Step #2: Meanwhile, make the dressing in a small blender or a jar. Roughly chop the arugula. Toast the pine nuts in a small pan.
Step #3: Arrange arugula on a large platter and toss it with ½ of the dressing. Add the roasted veggies on top. Drizzle over the remaining dressing.
Step #4: Top the beet and sweet potato salad with crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts.
Tips
Dates might seem like an unusual ingredient for a salad, but I highly recommend adding them. Their natural sweetness and sticky texture are amazing and go perfectly with the other ingredients. They add a special flavor that makes the sweet potato beetroot salad even better!
Let the vegetables cool before adding them to the salad. If they are too hot, the arugula will wilt.
Make in advance and store
Roast the root vegetables, let them cool, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can add them to the salad at room temperature or reheat them briefly in the oven before assembling the salad. They should be just slightly warm, not hot.
Make the dressing, pour it into a jar, and refrigerate it for 3-4 days.
Assemble and dress the beetroot and sweet potato salad just before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers for 1-2 days.
What to serve with it?
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📖 Recipe
Beetroot and Sweet Potato Salad
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Small blender or jar
- Large platter
Ingredients
Roasted vegetables:
- 1 large sweet potato about 9-10 oz/ 250-300 g
- 1 large beetroot about 9-10 oz/ 250-300 g
- 1 large red onion
- 10 large dried dates Note 2
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Dressing:
- juice of 1 orange about 5 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 2 sprigs thyme finely chopped, or ¼ teaspoon dried
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad:
- 2 oz arugula 60 g
- ⅓ cup feta about 1 oz/ 30 g Note 3
- 1 tablespoons pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the beets into ¾ inch (2 cm) cubes and the sweet potatoes into slightly larger cubes, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) (Note 1). Peel, quarter, and cut the red onion quarters into slices. Mix them with olive oil and all the spices.1 large sweet potato + 1 large beetroot + 1 large red onion + 2 tablespoons olive oil + ½ teaspoon coriander + ½ teaspoon cumin + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Roast vegetables: Spread them on a baking sheet and roast them for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Dates: In the meantime, quarter the dates. Add the dates to the vegetables and roast for 10 more minutes.10 large dried dates
- Cool: Let the roasted vegetables cool slightly before assembling the salad. They should not be hot, or the arugula leaves will wilt.
Dressing:
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small blender or whisk them well in a small jar. The dressing should be slightly emulsified.juice of 1 orange + 2 tablespoons maple syrup + 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar + 3 tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard + 1 garlic clove , grated + 2 sprigs thyme , finely chopped + ¾ - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Assemble the salad:
- Roughly chop the arugula. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan, shaking it often. Once golden and fragrant, transfer them to a plate immediately.2 oz arugula / 60 g + 1 tablespoons pine nuts
- Arrange arugula on a large platter and toss it with ½ of the dressing. Add the cooled vegetables on top and drizzle them with the remaining dressing.
- Top the salad with crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately.⅓ cup feta / 30 g
Notes
- Root vegetables: Cut the beets into smaller cubes than the sweet potatoes since they take longer to cook. The sweet potatoes will be softer and slightly caramelized, while the beets stay firmer yet fork-tender. Roast until both are fork-tender; cook a few more minutes if needed.
- Dates: I highly recommend using them. If you don’t have them, you can replace them with some raisins but don’t roast the raisins.
- Cheese: Use fresh, high-quality feta from a block of cheese, not the pre-crumbled kind. Goat cheese is a great substitute.
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