This Healthy Sweet Potato Salad is the perfect dish to make ahead and bring to a potluck or picnic – this filling summer salad even has bacon!
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How to make this recipe
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While oven is preheating, peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake for alotted time, flipping halfway through.
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Cook the turkey bacon in a large pan and then dice once cooled.
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Assemble the other ingredients and dice veggies.
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Make the sweet potato salad dressing by combining all the ingredients.
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When sweet potatoes have cooled, add them along with remaining ingredients to the bowl with dressing. Toss to coat.
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Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in meal prep containers for up to three days.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – any neutral oil will work in place of olive oil.
- Sweet potatoes – sweet potatoes are essential to this recipe.
- Green onion – if you don’t have green onions on hand, use chives or leave out completely.
- Celery stalks – carrots will give a similar texture and crunch to celery.
- Red pepper – another bell pepper colour will also work in replacement of red pepper.
- Corn – use defrosted frozen corn or canned corn kernels for quicker preparation.
- Black beans – use another bean or lentil to replace black beans while still getting similar nutrients.
- Turkey bacon – feel free to use regular bacon but note that it won’t stay crispy in the salad so it’s worth it to use the healthier version.
Dressing
- Light mayo – the only replacement for mayo would be vegan mayo. If you’re in a pinch, add extra sour cream but I highly recommending using the mayo for this recipe.
- Sour cream – plain greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream.
- Chili powder – cayenne, paprika or crushed chili flakes will also work.
- Garlic powder – garlic salt can be used in place of garlic powder. If using garlic salt, be weary of how much salt you add on top of this.
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
Are sweet potatoes good for you?
Sweet potatoes are often looked at as the healthier choice over potatoes. This is because of the fact that they're complex carbs, but they both provide equal energy sources to the body. The number of calories, protein, carbs and fats are virtually the same. However, sweet potatoes can be considered the better option because of their high nutrients. Sweet potatoes are packed with a higher fibre count and have high values of vitamins (vitamins A, B6, C).
Many suggest that beyond this nutritional difference, sweet potatoes are also the healthier choice because of how they're prepared in comparison to white potatoes (ex: white potatoes are associated with chips and fries).
Storing and reheating
The sweet potato salad will be the top hit at any BBQ or picnic you have but in the case that you have any leftovers, you will want to store them in the fridge immediately because of the fresh mayo. This delicious sweet potato salad will last in the fridge for up to three days! To store, divide your salad into individual servings in meal prep containers for easy access the next day. This is a cold potato salad, so it doesn't need to be warmed up. If you're looking to meal prep this salad in advance, store the dressing separately and mix fresh when you're ready to enjoy so that the salad doesn't get soggy.
Freezing sweet potatoes
This sweet potato salad isn't a freezer-friendly meal, but if you are looking to extend the life of your sweet potatoes they can be frozen. To freeze your sweet potatoes, you will want to partially bake or boil them first. Dice or slice your sweet potatoes into your preferred shape, bake or boil until softened and then package into a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to six months. Store the sweet potatoes in the freezer for up to four months. Once you're ready to enjoy the sweet potatoes, bake them as instructed and enjoy!
More healthy salad recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this salad into leftovers
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you would rather layer these salads in a different container
- I like this salad dressing shaker to make homemade dressings and marinades easier
Healthy Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
Dressing
- 1/3 cup light mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Peel sweet potatoes then cut into 1-inch pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake for 24 minutes, flipping halfway through (should be 12 minutes per side). Continue cooking another 5-7 minutes if you want them extra crispy.
- Meanwhile, prepare your other fillings. Cook the turkey bacon in a large pan on the stove for 5-6 minutes, then chop up when cool.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. In a large bowl (the same bowl you're going to toss the salad in), mix together the ingredients under the dressing heading.
- When sweet potatoes have cooled, add them along with remaining ingredients to the bowl with dressing, tossing very gently to coat. Serve and enjoy! Salad can be made up to 2 or 3 days in advance.
Video
Nutrition
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