Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
This sweet potato quinoa salad holds up beautifully. The roasted sweet potatoes and fire-roasted corn keep their flavor, and the maple vinaigrette only gets better with time.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Maple Vinaigrette Dressing
- ⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, coarse whole seed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, or dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 whole beets, small to medium size
- ½ cup dry quinoa, rinsed/drained, and cooked according to package instructions*
- 1 cup fire roasted corn, from can or frozen, drained
- 2 cups baby kale leaves
Topping Options
- feta cheese, crumbled
- roasted pumpkin seeds
- avocado, sliced
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined. Transfer to a and chill until ready to use.
- Set oven to 450F, with rack on middle position. Wrap beets tightly in foil and roast on a lined baking pan for 1 hour or until beets are tender. Once cool enough to touch, unwrap roasted beets, gently peel, and cube. Set aside until ready to use.
- Set oven to 450F, with rack on upper middle position. Line a large baking sheet with foil; grease foil and set aside.
- Place peeled/cubed sweet potatoes on sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast 20-30 minutes or until tender. Let cool and set aside.
- Serve: All ingredients should be cooled or at room temp before combining. In serving bowl, gently toss together the roasted sweet potatoes, roasted beets, quinoa, corn, and kale.
- Add desired amount of prepared Maple Vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add desired toppings and serve immediately.
Notes
- When cooking quinoa, I prefer to use vegetable or chicken broth instead of plain water. Allow cooked quinoa to fully cool before using in salad.
- Almost everything in this salad can be prepped ahead of time. Once roasted veggies are cool, cover and keep in fridge until ready to use. Do not add dressing until ready to serve.
- If your store carries pre-cut sweet potatoes, grab them. It will make your life that much easier.
- One might be tempted to skip the roasting of sweet potatoes and beets, but please roast them. It’s super easy to roast your own veggies, and they taste so much better.
- I use fire roasted corn from frozen, but feel free to use your favorite sweet corn kernels if you can’t find the fire roasted ones.
- Quinoa should always be rinsed thoroughly before cooking, as the rinsing helps remove a slight bitter flavor that can sometimes accompany quinoa. I use my super fine sieve to ensure my quinoa stays put during rinsing.
- I keep extra Maple Vinaigrette dressing in an airtight bottle for all the future salads. The dressing lasts several weeks in fridge.
- This recipe is part of our Rice and Quinoa Recipes Collection.
- We love serving it alongside a Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich for a light and satisfying lunch.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 6411IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg