Autumn Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Maple Cider Vinaigrette! Using mostly prepped store bought ingredients, this salad is a breeze to make and will feed a crowd!
How to Make a Fall Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette!
Crisp apples, toasted pecans, blue cheese crumbles, bacon and roasted sweet potatoes! All mixed together in a super easy to make Maple Vinaigrette.I used a store-bought package of Spring Mix that included Baby Spinach. I like the extra crunch of the spinach. Tossed in a couple handfuls of arugula as well for some extra spice.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes:
Simply cube and toss in a little olive oil. Roast for about 20 minutes. One large sweet potato makes about 2 cups of cubed cooked potato. They go a long way! I have seen sweet potatoes already cubed in the produce section. Why not, right? Butternut Squash is a great sub for this dish too! Chill them for a bit before tossing in your salad. Even better…cook the night before!
Regarding our sheet pan… that is one loved sheet pan! Maybe time to replace. We are loving this set that has 4 different sizes. You can never have enough sheet pans!
Easy store bought ingredients make this Autumn salad come together quickly.
Outside of roasting the sweet potatoes, we bought all the ingredients ready to go! Still super fresh, it just helps this recipe come together fast.
- The salad mix is Spring Mix with Spinach along with a few handfuls of Arugula. You can find it in most grocery stores.
- Blue cheese crumbles.
- Pecans. We buy them from Trader Joes already toasted.
- If you need to toast your own simply roast in a 400 degree oven for about 5-8 minutes (here is a step by step guide as well).
- Pralines are also delicious in this salad and add some nice sweetness.
- We buy precooked bacon to save another step!
How to make Maple Cider Vinaigrette:
Simply add all dressing ingredients to a Mason jar and shake, shake, shake!
The dressing is a quick mix of olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup for a bit of sweet.
What kind of apples should I use?
- We love fuji and honey crisp! Something a little on the sweet side and not too tart.
- Any apple would work that you have readily available.
Tips to make this Beautiful Autumn Salad!
- Sub feta cheese, goat or gorgonzola for blue cheese.
- Any kind of apple will work. Honey Crisp and Fuji are my faves.
- Add dried cranberries for an additional kick of color. Pomegranate seeds work too.
- Toss right before serving. This salad soaks up the dressing quickly and is best served freshly tossed.
- Don’t use all the dressing. Use about 1/4 cup to start. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Makes enough for 6 side dish servings. Easily doubles with no need to make additional dressing!
More side dishes please! How about Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin. They look so fancy but are incredibly easy to make! We also love this Skillet Green Bean Casserole that you make stove top, with no canned soup. We also love this delicious easy to make Orange Cranberry Sauce. Our family has been making this for years!
Cheers to Fall and all those flavors and colors we love!
Clink!
Kathi & Rachel
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Autumn Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pecans
Ingredients
For Salad
- 1 10 oz package of Spring Mix with Baby Spinach (plus a couple handfuls of spinach or arugula if desired)
- 1 apple (cored and sliced thinly)
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 cup whole pecans, toasted (400 degrees for 10 minutes on a sheet pan)
- 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
- 1 cups roasted cubed sweet potatoes (about one average size sweet potato)
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cube and peel sweet potatoes. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Spread on foil or parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until soft and slightly brown on the edges. Cool.
- In large salad bowl, add greens, blue cheese, sliced apple, pecans, bacon and chilled sweet potatoes.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a container or mason type jar and chill. Toss salad with dressing right before serving. Start with a 1/4 cup and add more dressing as desired.
Notes
Tips to make this Beautiful Autumn Salad!
- Sub feta, goat or gorgonzola for blue cheese.
- Any kind of apple will work. Honey Crisp and Fuji are my faves.
- Add dried cranberries for an additional kick of color. (I bought them and forgot to toss them in... ugh).
- Toss right before serving. This salad wilts rather quickly.
- You will NOT use all the dressing. Use about 1/4 cup. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Makes enough for 6 side dish servings. Easily doubles with no need to make additional dressing!
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might receive a very small commission, at no additional cost to you, should you chose to purchase that linked item. I only link to items I know and trust. Clink!
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