Vegan Sweet Potato Winter Salad with Toasted Pecans

Name: Vegan Sweet Potato Winter Salad With Toasted Pecans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 small-medium sweet potatoes, (diced); 1 tablespoon olive oil; Salt to taste; 1/2 cup pecans, (roughly chopped); 6 cups leafy greens greens of choice ((see notes)); 1/4 cup dried cranberries; 2 slices bread ((see notes)); 2 teaspoons olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon maple syrup; 1 garlic clove, (finely grated); 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

A vegan sweet potato winter salad with toasted pecans. This nutritious salad is packed with roasted sweet potatoes, toasted pecans, homemade croutons, cranberries and leafy greens of choice. Serve it with a light lemon vinaigrette for a fresh, yet hearty salad.

A delicious and satisfying salad to enjoy all winter! Made with leafy greens, roasted sweet potatoes, homemade croutons, toasted pecans and dried cranberries. Toss it with a tangy lemon vinaigrette for a nutritious vegan dinner or side dish. This salad is also perfect as a holiday side dish!

How to Make the Recipe:

Start by roasting the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, you can prepare the rest of the recipe, starting with the croutons.

To make the homemade croutons, add the diced bread in a medium bowl with olive oil, garlic powder and salt. Toss until evenly coated. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes until lightly golden and crispy. During the last 5-8 minutes, add the pecans on the same baking sheet.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Add lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic and salt in a small jar. Close the lid and shake until combine.

Next, prepare your leafy greens and toss them with the vinaigrette. Once the sweet potatoes, croutons and pecans are done, add them to the salad. Add the dried cranberries and toss to combine.

Serve the salad immediately. If you plan on having leftovers, store the prepared ingredients in separate containers (once cooled completely) and combine them just before eating. Otherwise, the bread will get soggy.

Notes on the Recipe:

To save time, you can skip the homemade croutons or serve the salad with store-bought croutons.
For a gluten-free salad, use gluten-free bread or gluten-free store-bought croutons.
You can use your favorite leafy greens in this salad. Shredded kale, spinach and mixed greens will work best. I don’t recommend iceberg or Romaine lettuce for this recipe. While they are an acceptable option, they don’t pair as well with the hearty ingredients in this salad.
Try serving this salad with vegan parmesan if desired.
Feel free to use toasted walnuts instead of pecans.
You could try using butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes.

More Hearty Salad Recipes for Winter:

Vegan Sweet Potato Winter Salad With Toasted Pecans

Course Salad

Cuisine vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 small-medium sweet potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
6 cups leafy greens greens of choice (see notes)
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Homemade Croutons

2 slices bread (see notes)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Lemon Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Instructions

Prepare the Sweet Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Dice the sweet potatoes and place them on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes. The roasting time will depend on how big or small you cut the sweet potatoes.

Make the Homemade Croutons

Chop the bread into bite-sized cubes and add them to a mixing bowl with the oil, garlic powder and salt. Toss to combine.
Spread the prepared bread on a baking sheet (leaving some space for the pecans later). Toast for 10 minutes at 400°F in the same oven as the sweet potatoes. Remove from the oven, toss the croutons and add the chopped pecans to the baking sheet. Return to the oven and keep toasting for another 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the pecans and croutons in the last minutes to avoid burning.

Prepare the Lemon Vinaigrette

Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Add all the ingredients in a jar and shake until mixed. Make sure the garlic is finely grated. You can also add the ingredients in a small blender if preferred.

Assemble the Salad

Add your greens in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Top with the roasted sweet potatoes, croutons, toasted pecans and dried cranberries. Serve immediately.

Notes

To save time, you can skip the croutons or use store-bought croutons.

To make this salad gluten-free, use gluten-free bread or store-bought gluten-free croutons.

I recommend using a thick, rustic bread for the croutons.

You can make this salad with shredded kale, spinach, mixed greens and/or arugula. If using kale, make sure to massage it with the vinaigrette. This makes it easier to eat.

You can also serve this salad with vegan parmesan.

This recipe makes 4-6 side salads or 2 larger portions when served as an entrée.

If you make this sweet potato and toasted bread winter salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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View Comments

Catherine says:

2018-09-20 at 10:52 am

Never would have thought so add sweet potato to salad... but I love it! So delicious!
- Unsweetened Caroline says:
  
  2018-09-22 at 8:49 am
  
  I'm happy you like it! Once you try it, you can't go back. ;)
Mirabelle says:

2021-12-06 at 5:42 pm

Really lovely salad! Brought it for dinner at the in-laws and it was a hit!
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2021-12-09 at 12:19 pm
  
  Thank you Mirabelle, I'm so happy that you all loved the salad!
Jan says:

2021-12-25 at 5:36 pm

I made this for Christmas Day meal with friends. I always say I can't make a good vinaigrette but this turned out great. It is a wonderful salad and very easy to make.
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2022-01-04 at 9:14 am
  
  I'm so happy you liked it! Thank you and I hope you had a good holiday season. :)