A roasted sweet potato and beet salad mixed with earthy quinoa, toasted pistachios, creamy gorgonzola, and tangy oranges tossed in a honey mustard dressing. It's a light yet filling meal that's big on flavor and freshness.
This salad isn't made with traditional leafy greens but roasted root vegetables. The dish's core ingredients are sweet potatoes and beets coated in smoked paprika and thyme and roasted at high heat to bring out their natural sweetness and create delicious caramelization.
🥗 Why You'll Want to Make This Salad
- Aside from roasting vegetables, this meal requires minimal prep. Just whisk together a quick dressing, peel some oranges, and simmer some quinoa on the stove. This salad makes for a good weeknight meal when you want a satisfying dinner but are short on time. You could even prep everything in advance and put it together when you're ready to eat.
- You'll love this salad's smoky, sweet, and earthy flavors. It's great warm or at room temperature.
- While this beet and sweet potato salad would be delicious no matter the time of year, it's a good winter dish for when quality fresh greens aren't as prevalent and citrus and root vegetables are at their prime. It will have you rethinking what makes a salad and appreciating how balancing flavors and textures can make even simple ingredients shine.
For more unique salad ideas, try my Blackened Shrimp Salad, Arugula and Spinach Salad, Kale Salad with Lentils, or Bok Choy with Tofu Salad. For more beet recipes, check out my Beet Broccoli Salad, Mashed Beets, and Beetroot and Feta Tartlets.
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🍠 Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for this beet and sweet potato salad:
- Beets - Your standard, everyday beet is perfect. But any kind will do. Yes, you will have to peel them, and yeah, they may stain your hands a little. It's worth it, though.
- Sweet potatoes - I'm a fan of the ones from a local sweet potato farm, but use what you can find in your area.
- Quinoa serves as the base for the salad and adds protein, making it a more filling meal.
- Roasted pistachios - For a deep nutty flavor and crunch.
- Mandarin oranges - The perfect bite-sized citrus for tossing in a salad.
- Gorgonzola cheese - A good crumbly cheese that's not too overpowering yet still adds a bit of sharpness to offset the sweetness of the vegetables.
- Parsley - Adds a little freshness and green to the top of the salad.
- Dried thyme and smoked paprika - For seasoning the vegetables for a pleasantly earthy and smoky flavor.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
📋 Substitutions and Variations
You can swap out many of the ingredients in the salad to use what you may already have on hand or for flavors you prefer better. Like most recipes, consider this a starting point and make it your own.
- Quinoa - Instead of quinoa, you could try barley, couscous, millet, or rice. Just keep in mind that not all of these may have as much nutritional value and unlike quinoa, they may contain gluten.
- Gorgonzola - Other blue cheeses, feta cheese, and goat cheese are decent alternatives.
- Beets - For the beet adverse, try carrots instead. Sweet potatoes are the more essential of the two vegetables to keep.
- Honey - Make it a maple mustard dressing by swapping the honey for maple syrup.
- For more protein - Add chickpeas. If you have a can handy, it wouldn't take any extra time to toss them into the mix.
- Spices - You could certainly mix up the spice and herb selection to change flavors and keep the salad feeling fresh.
- Pistachios - Good alternatives include sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
🔪 Instructions
Peel the sweet potatoes and beets and cut into roughly half-inch cubes.
Toss vegetables with salt and spices on a baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven for 30-35 minutes or until tender.
Rinse the quinoa and add to a small pot. Cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, add the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and remaining salt. Whisk until well combined.
Peel the oranges, remove any remaining pith (white stuff), and separate them into segments.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork after it has sat for 5 minutes.
Remove the tray of vegetables from the oven when browned and tender.
Assemble your salad, starting with quinoa, then the vegetables, then the remaining ingredients, and the dressing. Toss to combine.
Tip: Recipes often suggest roasting whole beets, then peeling and cutting them up afterward. But they'll cook quicker when you cut them into smaller pieces beforehand. I also find it easier to use a peeler and peel them raw rather than rub off the peels later.
🥡 Storage
You can store the prepared salad ingredients in separate containers, though the quinoa and roasted vegetables would be fine together. When ready to eat, assemble the salads on your plate. The quinoa and vegetables are at their best within three days of cooking.
💭 FAQ
Cooked sweet potato is a good addition to a cold or room-temperature salad. There's no reason why you can't eat sweet potato cold.
Roasting will bring out the sweetness of the beets and add caramelization. Boiled beets may be soggy in a salad and have lost nutrients in the water during boiling.
Good question! The sweetness of honey and the strong, sharp taste of Dijon mustard create a perfect, irresistible flavor balance. The result improves almost anything you put on, especially vegetables in a salad.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Sweet Potato and Beet Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A sweet potato and beet salad mixed with earthy quinoa, toasted pistachios, creamy gorgonzola, and tangy oranges tossed in a honey mustard dressing. A light yet filling meal with plenty of flavor and freshness.
Ingredients
- 1 pound beets
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ¼ cups quinoa
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 mandarin oranges
- a small bunch of parsley
- ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- ¼ cup toasted pistachios
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel the sweet potatoes and beets, then slice them up into roughly ½ inch cubes. Spread them out on a baking sheet, drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil, along with ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Toss to coat everything, then pop the tray in the preheated oven to roast for 30-35 minutes.
- Cook the quinoa. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Then add to a small pot with 2 ½ cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, cover the pot, and let sit 5 more minutes.
- Make the dressing and finish prepping. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil with the mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar until combined. Peel the oranges and divide into segments. Roughly chop the parsley.
- Assemble. Divide the quinoa onto plates. Top each with roasted vegetables, then some of the oranges, gorgonzola, pistachios, and parsley. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.
Notes
Enjoy this salad warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Roasting
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