Description
This Feel-Good Fall Salad is a cozy, vibrant celebration of seasonal harvest flavors. It features tender, oven-roasted sweet potatoes paired with the peppery bite of fresh arugula, creamy avocado, tangy goat cheese, and crunchy toasted pecans. Finished with a bright lemon-Dijon dressing, this dish balances earthy sweetness with sharp, fresh notes. It is a hearty, wholesome, and comforting meal that works perfectly as a light main course or a crowd-pleasing side dish for your next holiday dinner.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
Fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
5 ounces arugula or baby kale
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet.
Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and starting to caramelize.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the fresh arugula or baby kale with the roasted sweet potatoes.
Top with sliced avocado, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries.
Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently.
Notes
You can roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator to save time on busy weeknights. If you do not have goat cheese, feta or blue cheese are excellent substitutes. The pecans can be toasted in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 15mg