Autumn Harvest Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes
If you're looking for a fresh side dish to balance out a hearty fall meal, this Autumn Harvest Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes is a great choice. Roasted sweet potatoes, crisp apples, pecans, arugula, and romaine come together for a colorful salad that's full of seasonal flavors without feeling heavy.
Equipment
- Salad bowl
- Cutting board
- Large knife
- Peeler
- Baking Sheet
- Foil
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 cup Sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 2 cups Romaine
- 2 cups Arugula
- 1 medium Apple, chopped
- ⅓ cup Pecans, chopped
Homemade Dressing
- 1 cup Olive oil
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Prep Your Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I baked my sweet potatoes in the air fryer on 400 for 20 minutes, but either works.
- Line your baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Peel and chop your sweet potatoes into cubes.
- Place them on your baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on top and add your spices (salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme)
- Mix everything well with your hands and bake the sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes in the oven or until golden brown. You can also bake them in the air fryer for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Prepare Other Ingredients & Homemade Dressing
- While you're potatoes are baking, chop your apples and pecans, and pull out any cheeses you'd like to add.
- If you have a pre-made dressing you can certainly use it on the salad, but if you need a quick dressing, pour one cup of olive oil into a jar with salt and pepper, 3 garlic cloves, onion powder, thyme, and parsley and blend. I used an emersion blender, but you can throw these ingredients into a regular blender if that's what you have on hand.
3. Assemble, Toss, & Enjoy!
- Add romaine and arugula to your bowl.
- Pour your dressing over the lettuce and toss, letting the dressing coat all of the leafy greens. This is going to allow the lettuce to absorb all the delicious flavors in the dressing and prevent your salad from tasting dry.
- Next, toss in your baked sweet potatoes, apples, pecans, and cheeses. Add a little salt and pepper (maybe a little squeeze of lemon?) to taste and enjoy!