October 5, 2015

Harvest Sweet Potato and Brown Rice Salad

Jump to Recipe

This harvest sweet potato and brown rice salad is a fantastic fall meal! With roasted sweet potatoes, sliced apple, crunchy pecans and a simple maple dressing, it’s hard not to love. Dairy free, gluten free and vegan.

Two bowls filled with Sweet Potato Brown Rice Salad.

Meet your new favorite fall salad! Well, at least my new favorite fall salad.

And let me tell you, I feel uber trendy / fancy / cool calling this a harvest sweet potato and brown rice salad.

Because I am decidedly one of the least trendy people around. 

Anyway, let’s move past all this trendy talk and focus on the food at hand.

But before we get to the nitty gritty of the recipe, let’s address the fact that yes, that is wild rice in the pictures and not brown rice.

I apparently grabbed the wrong kind when I made this to take pictures and well, pretty much just realized this now.

So brown rice, wild rice. It all tastes good here. I speak from experience. Use whatever you have on hand.

Also, if you feel so inclined, I’d advise serving with a big bowl of crunchy pita chips. The best.

A glass mixing bowl filled with Harvest Salad with two serving spoons in the dish.

How To Make Sweet Potato and Brown Rice Salad

We’ll start with some roasted sweet potatoes … with just the tiniest touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Adds the perfect hint of warmth.

Next, we’ll whisk together a simple dressing with pure maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and a clove of garlic. 

Finally, we’ll toss it all together with some cooled brown (ahem, or wild) rice, some sweet sliced apple, crunchy pecans, dried figs and of course, some greens.

Combining into the perfect filling, colorful, cozy salad.

A white bowl filled with Sweet Potato and Rice Salad with a fork in the dish.

Additional Fall Salads You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Recipe for harvest sweet potato and brown rice salad. With roasted sweet potatoes, brown rice, sliced apple, crunchy pecans and a simple maple dressing!

Harvest Sweet Potato and Brown Rice Salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

This harvest sweet potato and brown rice salad is a fantastic fall meal! With roasted sweet potatoes, sliced apple, crunchy pecans and a simple maple dressing, it’s hard not to love. Dairy free, gluten free and vegan.

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes, cut into ½ inch chunks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • dash of ground nutmeg

For the dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil

For the salad:

  • ½ cup uncooked brown rice or wild rice, cooked according to package directions & cooled
  • 1 medium apple (or pear), cored and sliced
  • ½ cup raw pecan halves, chopped
  • ⅓ cup dried figs, chopped (I use black mission)
  • 5 cups lightly packed baby arugula or spinach

Instructions

For the potatoes:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  2. Add the red onion and sweet potatoes to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss to combine and spread in an even layer.
  3. Bake for about 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the potatoes are tender. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

For the dressing:

  1. Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl. Whisk vigorously until well combined.

For the salad:

  1. Add the cooled potatoes, cooled brown rice, the apple (or pear), pecans, figs and the arugula / spinach to a large bowl. Toss gently to combine.
  2. Drizzle in the desired amount of dressing (I use all) and toss again to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

When possible, I like to make the rice ahead of time for this salad. You really want it to be at room temp (or even chilled) before using. When I can’t make it in advance, I use quick cooking brown rice (so that it doesn’t add any extra time to the recipe).

The potatoes, dressing and rice can all be made ahead for this dish. Store in separate containers in the fridge and then all you need to do is assemble when ready to eat!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 380Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 302mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 7gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dish
Apple Season, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Dish, Meatless, Recipes (ALL), Salad, Seasonal, Soy Free, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight
46 Comments »