Prepare your taste buds for a fall flavor extravaganza! This Sweet Potato Salad with Chickpeas is like a symphony of deliciousness in every bite. Imagine tender sweet potatoes, crisp apples, hearty chickpeas, crunchy walnuts, creamy goat cheese, and zesty cranberries all mingling with fresh greens, topped off with a luscious tahini dressing. It’s not just a meal; it’s a culinary masterpiece that’ll have you savoring every moment. Get ready to treat yourself to a plateful of autumn perfection!
Table of Contents
What is Sweet Potato Salad Made Of?
This recipe consists of three different components – the roasted sweet potatoes, salad combination, and dressing – for an explosion of tastes and textures unlike anything else!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes – Cut your sweet potatoes into cubes, and roast them until they’re crisp on the outside and tender in the center.
- Olive Oil – This enhances their flavor and helps them roast.
- Maple Syrup – Used to enhance their natural sweetness.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Adjust to taste.
Salad
- Mixed Greens – Use arugula, spinach, massaged kale, or whatever you like best!
- Green Apples – We love the slight tartness of Granny Smith apples, but if you prefer a slightly sweeter option red apples such as Fuji, Gala, or Honey Crisp also taste great.
- Red Onion – Sliced thinly and used to add a tangy flavor and a bit of crunch.
- Chickpeas – Be sure to rinse and drain them first!
- Walnuts – These add extra texture, nutty flavor, and a boost of healthy fats.
- Goat Cheese – Technically optional, the creamy consistency and tangy taste pair fabulously with the rest of the ingredients.
- Dried Cranberries – Sub fresh cranberries or raisins, if preferred.
Dressing
- Tahini – This forms the base of the dressing, adding a rich, nutty taste.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Used to thin out the tahini without diluting its flavor.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed is best! The acidity helps balance out some of the bitterness of the tahini.
- Pomegranate Molasses – A staple ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking, pomegranate molasses has a sweet, fruity flavor we adore.
- Water – Use as little or as much as needed until your desired consistency is achieved.
Flavor Variations
Get ready to unleash your culinary creativity because this warm sweet potato salad recipe is a canvas for endless delicious possibilities! Here are some of our favorite ways to give it a flavorful twist:
- Adding Protein. Make this recipe a complete meal by topping it off with cooked chicken, shrimp, or beef!
- Including Extra Veggies. Use whatever veggies you have on hand for extra volume and flavor. For instance, roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mushrooms, and pickled onions all taste great.
- Mixing Up the Cheese. Replace the goat cheese with feta, parmesan, a vegan cheese. Or, make your salad dairy-free, and include avocado instead!
- Swapping Out the Nuts. Not a fan of walnuts? Use pecans, almonds, pepitas, cashews, or sunflower seeds instead.
- Adding Grains. Make your salad even more filling with grains like wild rice, quinoa, or bulgur wheat.
- Using a Different Dressing. Play with different flavor combinations, and match any homemade or store-bought dressings you like best. A creamy chipotle dressing would taste incredible!
Tips for the Best Salad
- Chop the sweet potatoes evenly. This will help ensure they cook thoroughly and evenly.
- Allow the sweet potatoes to cool. Prepare your potatoes in advance, and set them aside to cool before adding them to the salad. If they’re piping hot, they’ll cause the greens to wilt.
- Dress the salad just before serving. The longer the dressing sits on a salad, the soggier the ingredients get. So, to keep your sweet potato salad fresh, dress it, and toss the ingredients right before you eat.
Serving Suggestions
This healthy sweet potato salad is a superstar that can shine solo as a satisfying meal or be the ultimate sidekick when paired with a turkey caprese sandwich, chickpea chicken salad, easy butternut squash soup, or Egyptian lentil soup.
Or, serve it as an appetizer with main courses such as cooked whole chicken, parmesan chicken tenders, or slow cooker beef brisket.
Common Questions About This Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
It’s up to you! Sweet potato skin is edible and full of fiber and nutrients. However, not everyone loves the texture. If you want to peel them, we recommend doing so before baking.
Yes! Sweet potatoes can be eaten hot or cold and taste great either way.
We don’t recommend assembling the salad ahead of time as it is likely to become soggy. However, if you want, you can prepare the dressing, rinse and drain the chickpeas, roast the potatoes, and chop up veggies up to one to two days in advance. Keep them stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge, and assemble them just before serving!
More Hearty Salad Recipes
- Middle Eastern Cobb Salad
- Lebanese Fattoush Salad
- Quinoa Cannellini Bean Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
Sweet Potato Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients
For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
- 3 cups 1 large sweet potatosweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
For the Salad:
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 large green apple thinly sliced
- ½ cup red onion sliced
- 1 15 ounce canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup goat cheese crumbled
For the Dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1-2 Tablespoons water to thin out
Instructions
Roast the Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the 1-inch cubed sweet potato with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.3 cups 1 large sweet potatosweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, Salt to taste, Black pepper to taste
- Place the seasoned sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket, and cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure even cooking. The sweet potatoes should be tender and slightly caramelized.
- Remove from the air fryer, and set aside to cool.
Prepare the Salad:
- In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, sliced green apple, sliced red onion, rinsed and drained chickpeas, toasted walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese.6 cups mixed greens, 1 large green apple, ½ cup red onion, 1 15 ounce canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained, ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, ½ cup goat cheese
Prepare the Dressing:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of tahini, ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses.2 Tablespoons tahini, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the dressing to achieve the desired consistency. Adjust the water to make the dressing as thick or thin as you like.1-2 Tablespoons water
Assemble the Salad:
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients in the bowl.
- Gently toss the salad to ensure everything is coated with the dressing.
- Top the salad with the roasted sweet potatoes, and enjoy!
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love the sound of the recipe, but could use some alternatives. For example, I’m not interested in buying an air fryer so it would be nice to have alternative directions for the oven or stovetop. I can “guestimate,” but wish it was already included.
Also, I have dietary restrictions (gluten and dairy-free) so it would be really nice if some alternative ingredient options were offered. I also can “guestimate,” but both these elements would help your recipes have an even wider fan base and improved experience. Thanks for your consideration and for the tasty, simple dishes!
Thank you for the feedback! We will take this into consideration with further updates and hope you continue to enjoy the recipes. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa