Roasted Sweet Potato Autumn Salad

Sweet potatoes, a staple fall ingredient, shine in this hearty salad with Romaine and apples that’s perfect for lunch or a lighter dinner.

This is the season for root vegetables to step into their spotlight. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and beets are common ingredients in many heartier recipes for fall and winter. We’ve relied for generations on these food items to fuel us through colder months.

Consider a sweet potato (1 cup serving) has 12 percent of our daily potassium and 16 percent of daily fiber, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An article on Healthline.com said sweet potatoes — whether orange, white or purple — are a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as manganese. They also have anticancer properties and may promote immune function and other health benefits.

We may hear the names of sweet potatoes and yams mixed interchangeably but these are separate vegetables. According to food writer Margaret Eby, yams are starchy and have a brown exterior. Sweet potatoes are a “new world” vegetable and have a darker interior with reddish skin. Check here to read Eby's story about the history of yams versus sweet potatoes.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, sweet potatoes no doubt will surface again in the ubiquitous casserole that tastes more like a dessert than vegetable side dish, but you can do so much more with this tuber. Recently, I made delicious sweet potato and black bean chili. Last year, Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Vinaigrette was offered as a Thanksgiving side.

For a perfect fall lunch plate, Roasted Sweet Potato Autumn Salad combines potatoes with apple, peppery radish, sunflower seeds, crunchy Romaine, and — would you believe — a delicious dressing made with barbecue sauce!

To make Roasted Sweet Potato Autumn Salad, which yields 4 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

• 12 ounces fresh sweet potatoes (about 2 potatoes)

• 1 TB olive oil

• 1 ½ teaspoons pepper

• 1 ½ heads Romaine, washed and dried

• 1 large crisp apple (such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady) or two Granny Smith apples

• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, shelled

• 3 radishes, cleaned and trimmed

• Optional 6 ounces cooked chicken or turkey

You don’t have to peel the potatoes; just scrub them clean. No sunflower seeds in your pantry? No problem! Use toasted almons or pecans. Maybe you roasted pumpkin seeds after carving your jack-o-lantern. It all works!

Roast sweet potatoes in oven. Allow to cool before adding to salad.

Follow these directions to make Roasted Sweet Potato Autumn Salad

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the first three ingredients and bake 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, core/slice apple. Thinly slice radishes.

Divide greens on four plates and top with other ingredients. Quickly make the dressing by combining:

• 2 TB Dijon mustard

• 2 TB barbecue sauce

• 1 TB apple cider vinegar

• ½ teaspoon honey (optional)

Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.

For another hearty autumn salad, try my Easy Butternut Squash Panzanella. Orange and Carrot Soup can be enjoyed chilled in spring, but it's delicious when served warm with crusty bread this fall.

---

About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.