This bright and colourful roasted sweet potato and feta salad makes a delicious salad that is perfect for entertaining.
Cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes bring a mild sweetness to this salad that goes perfectly alongside crunchy greens, creamy goats feta and pecans; all balanced nicely by the sharpness of the brightly coloured pomegranates.
This sweet potato salad is a great dish to take along to a Christmas party or BBQ (for those of us in the southern hemisphere) or to enjoy as part of your thanksgiving feast if you are celebrating thanksgiving in your part of the world.
One of the challenges of having a recipe website that caters to a variety of different countries and seasons is trying to have recipes that suit a variety of audiences, luckily this sweet potato and feta salad suits most of you at this time of year!
I do love a white Christmas and after living in the UK in my twenties I really appreciate how cosy, cheery and well Christmasy a white Christmas can be when the weather is chilly.
Such fond memories of eating delicious warm comforting food, getting rugged up in jackets, hats and gloves or sitting by the fire and sipping on mulled wine. All so cosy!
However, being a kiwi Christmas will always mean summer to me and the summery things that accompany a kiwi Christmas are special memories for me.
Wearing shorts and jandals or your new summer dress on Christmas day, playing barefoot in the grass as a child with your new toys, sipping cold drinks, snoozing in the shade after you have enjoyed your Christmas feast or heading to the beach for a swim.
In both hemispheres Christmas is equally special but so different they cannot really be compared.
Key Ingredients:
- Orange sweet potato or kumara. This is the sweetest variety and works best in this salad
- I have used beetroot greens in this salad as that's what I had in the garden. Any greens can be used in this sweet potato salad such as kale, spinach, or rocket (arugula).
- I have used greek goats feta to keep this recipe cows milk-free for those with a cows milk dairy intolerance (as that's the case in my family!) If this doesn't apply to you then cows milk feta could also be used but it doesn't have the same crumbly texture. Goats feta in my opinion works the best for this salad. You could also use Vegan feta if required.
- Pomegranate arils/seeds really make the salad special and their beautiful colour gives the salad a festive feel.
- Pecans are my favourite nut to use in this salad but walnuts would also be a good option.
Additional Recipe Tips
- This sweet potato and feta salad can be served with the roasted sweet potatoes warm or cold making it a great option for whatever season Christmas may be for you.
- This sweet potato salad is a filling salad! It can serve 2-3 as a standalone dish, 4-6 as a standard side dish, or approx 8-10 as part of a Christmas feast.
- The nutrition information below is based on serving 6 people.
How to store:
This salad should keep covered for up to 3 days in the fridge. It may need to be freshened up a bit with some extra feta and a drizzle of olive oil before serving if you are eating it after a couple of days.
Other salad recipes you might like:
Beetroot & Avocado Quinoa Salad with Spiced Walnuts & Mint
Hot Smoked Salmon Salad with Egg & Mustard Potatoes
Roasted Pumpkin, Chickpea and Sundried Tomato Salad
Other recipes using sweet potato/kumara:
The sweet potato in these tasty sweet potato chocolate chip muffins is hidden and helps them stay moist, light and fluffy.
This sweet potato toast done 3 ways is a healthy easy snack or breakfast.
I hope you enjoy this roasted sweet potato and feta recipe, please let me know how you got on in the comments below and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!
For more tasty recipes and to see what I’ve been getting up to you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter.
Hope
Love Food Nourish Nutrition Tips
I have used beetroot leaves in this sweet potato salad as we currently have a big crop of beetroot about to be harvested in the garden. Beet leaves often discarded but they really are a great addition to any meal, they are not only crisp and tasty but also very nutritious! They are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B2(source). Beet leaves are also a great source of iron, just 1 cup of beet greens can give you 15% of the daily recommended intake of iron which is pretty impressive! If you can't get your hands on some beetroot leaves any greens can be used in this salad such as spinach, kale, or rocket (arugula).
Sweet Potato & Feta Salad with Pomegranate & Pecans
This roasted sweet potato and feta salad is perfect for entertaining. Delicious cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes on a bed of greens, topped by feta, pecans, pomegranate and mint. Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
- 600gm /1.3lb orange sweet potato or kumara (approx 2 medium sized )
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salad
- 100gm /3.5oz of spinach or other leafy greens* See notes
- ¾ cup pecans
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- ½ pomegranate seeds/arils removed
- ½ cup goats feta (approx 55gm/2 oz)cut into small cubes or crumbs.
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint
- salt and pepper to taste
- Extra olive oil to drizzle over top if desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220°C/430°F
- Peel and wash the sweet potato and cut into large cubes.
- In a large bowl place the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and cinnamon to coat the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes into the marinade in the bowl and toss until evenly coated.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes then flip the potatoes over and bake for another 10-15 minutes until tender and golden brown.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking prepare the rest of the salad.
- Add ½ Tbspn olive oil to a medium frying pan, add the pecans and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Turn regularly.
- Assemble the sweet potato salad in a large bowl or platter. Add greens to the bottom layer, topped by the sweet potato then the red onion, pecans and pomegranate seeds. Top with feta and fresh mint. Add more salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with extra olive oil if desired.
Notes
Note 1 - I have used beetroot greens but any greens can be used in this salad such as kale, spinach or rocket.
Note 2 - I have used greek goats feta to keep this recipe cows milk free for those with a cows milk dairy intolerance. If this doesn't apply to you then cows milk feta could also be used but it doesn't have the same crumbly texture.
Note 3 - This would serve 2-3 as a standalone dish, 4-6 as a standard side dish or approx 8-10 as part of a Christmas feast.
Note 4 - The nutrition information below is based on serving 6 people.
Note 5 - This sweet potato and feta salad should keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Please see additional notes in the blog post for more information.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 285Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 14mgSodium 88mgCarbohydrates 25gNet Carbohydrates 19gFiber 6gSugar 14gProtein 9g
This nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy to readers. It was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed in the recipe card. Please feel free to use your preferred nutrition calculator. Please consult your doctor about any specific dietary requirements.
