This Sweet Potato Salad Recipe is a warm and comforting dish made with sweet potatoes, red onions, bacon, cranberries, feta cheese, and drizzled with a creamy honey mustard dressing. It's ready to eat in just 25 minutes and is the perfect side dish for weeknight dinners or to serve at a party.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
We're all about sweet potatoes in our house, and I'm always looking for new and fun ways to use them. Traditionally, candied sweet potatoes, sweet potato pie, and sweet potato casserole always appear on our dining room table. But this salad right here is making a statement.
What is a sweet potato salad recipe?
This healthy potato salad recipe is the perfect way to use those extra sweet potatoes in your pantry or a great way to use fresh potatoes from the farmer's market.
Roasting the sweet potatoes gives them a wonderful caramelized flavor that combines wonderfully with the crunchy bacon and red onions, sweet cranberries, salty feta cheese, and tangy vinegar dressing.
This dish is a delicious twist on traditional potato salad and one that your family will request again and again.
Ingredients
You can find the ingredients for this simple salad at your local grocery store or in your pantry. Here is a list of what you'll need.
Salad:
- Sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red onion
- Bacon
- Cranberries
- Feta cheese
Dressing:
- Dijon mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley
How to make sweet potato salad
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
While the potatoes are cooling, make the dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, combine the roasted sweet potatoes, red onions, cooked bacon, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Top with fresh parsley if desired.
Expert Tips
These tips will help you make the best warm salad that your whole family will love.
- Don’t over-roast the sweet potatoes, or they’ll be mushy.
- Squeeze some lemon juice over the top right before serving for a bright end note.
- Cube the potatoes and then microwave them for a few minutes to cut down on the time in the oven and to help them cook all the way through.
Variations
This healthy sweet potato salad recipe can be adjusted to fit your tastes and preferences. Use these ideas or come up with your own!
- Use blue cheese crumbles or goat cheese instead of feta cheese.
- Exchange the sweet potatoes with butternut squash or another hard winter squash.
- Add seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika.
Other ingredients to add
You can add other ingredients and healthy veggies to this delicious side dish.
Here are some tasty options you can try:
- Kale
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pistachios
- Baby spinach
- Avocados
- Green onions
- Shallots
- Black beans
- Red bell peppers
- Yellow pepper
- Sunflower seeds
- Fresh cilantro
- Cooked wild rice
- Crunchy pecans or walnuts
What are good dressings for sweet potato salad?
This recipe uses a homemade honey mustard dressing that tastes amazing with these ingredients.
You can make a salad dressing with other ingredients or change it up and make a dressing with a creamy texture instead.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Creamy dressings: spicy ranch, avocado, Greek yogurt
Vinegar: balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, lime juice
Oil: avocado oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil
Flavorings: maple syrup, garlic, shallots
Can I make this salad in the air fryer?
You can make this homemade potato salad in an air fryer. The great thing about air fryers is that they heat up quickly and cook food evenly.
To make this salad in the air fryer, cube the potatoes and lay them in a single layer in the basket or on a small sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Cook the potatoes until they're soft all the way through, then toss them with the other ingredients and salad dressing in a serving bowl.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
How to serve
Serve this easy sweet potato salad with other side dishes like fried cabbage, dirty rice, or southern green beans.
You can also pair it with your favorite main dishes like smothered pork chops, air fryer turkey thighs, or a mushroom tart.
How to store sweet potato salad
Refrigerate: Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Reheat: This dish is even better the next day. You can eat cold sweet potato salad, or you can set it on the counter and allow it to come up to room temperature.
Freeze: This salad doesn't freeze well because when the sweet potatoes thaw, they're mushy and don't have much texture. The next time you want to eat this delicious salad, you can easily make it from scratch.
FAQs
Yes, you can make this salad with baby red potatoes, russet, or other firm white potatoes.
If the cubed sweet potatoes are still hard in the middle, that means they didn't cook long enough to soften all the way through.
You can easily make this salad spicy by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, diced jalapenos, or spicy ranch dressing. If you use a spicy dressing, each person can choose if they want it spicy or not.
Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup red onions thinly sliced
- 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbles
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbles
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
- fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
- While the potatoes are cooling, make the dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, red onions, cooked bacon, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Top with fresh parsley if desired.
