Roasted Sweet Potato Fall Salad

In this fall salad, cubes of chili-roasted sweet potatoes unite with greens, toasted nuts, cheese, and a sweet-sharp vinaigrette.

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I had lunch at ​ GB Eats ​ in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I ordered the breakfast salad, a bowl of arugula, roasted sweet potatoes, crumbled bacon, and avocado dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and topped with two poached eggs.

It was heavenly — so fresh tasting — and made me wonder why breakfast salads aren’t more of a thing. With every completely satisfying bite, I found myself thinking: I could eat this every day.

The recipe below is inspired by that salad, the star being the chili-roasted sweet potato cubes. I’ve found a mix of sturdy greens (like Romaine) combined with delicate greens (like arugula) works best, and a light, bright dressing, like this ​apple cider vinaigrette​ or this lemon vinaigrette , is perfect, its sharpness so nicely balancing the sweetness of the roasted potatoes.

Finally, I’ve used all sorts of nuts, dried fruit, and cheese with success, so use what you have on hand.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, Step by Step

First, gather a couple of pounds of sweet potatoes.

Peel and dice them.

Transfer them to a sheet pan and season with salt, Aleppo pepper (or Silk Chili), optional, and melted coconut oil or olive oil.

Toss to combine.

Then roast at 400ºF for roughly 45 minutes.

Let the potatoes cool for five minutes in the pan, then release them with a spatula.

Toss with apple cider vinaigrette to taste:

Season with pepper and serve.

Description

In this fall salad, cubes of chili-roasted sweet potatoes unite with greens, toasted nuts, cheese, and apple cider vinaigrette. It lends itself to improvisation, so don’t be afraid to use what cheese and nuts you have on hand.

Notes:

• Salt: If you are using Morton kosher salt or fine sea salt, use half as much.
• Aleppo pepper: I have been able to find this at two different local grocery stores, which has been a pleasant surprise as I’ve previously ordered it online. You can do an InstaCart search to see if any of your local stores carry it. Silk Chili is the Turkish variety of Aleppo pepper, and I buy large containers of it from Burlap and Barrel.
• Lemon Vinaigrette would be nice here, too.

For the sweet potatoes:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes

• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see notes above

• 1 to 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or Silk Chili, optional, see notes above

• Fresh lime juice to taste, optional

• ⅓ cup pine nuts or other nut: almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia, etc.

• 5 ounces mixed greens, preferably a mix of mostly sturdy greens like Little Gems, Romaine, and Radicchio, with a smaller amount of Arugula or other tender greens

• Flaky sea salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 4 ounces cubed cheese such as Gruyere, Gouda, or Cheddar or crumbled goat cheese, feta or really any cheese you like

• ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette , plus more to taste, see notes above

1. Roast the sweet potatoes : Preheat the oven to 400ºF. While the oven preheats, peel the potatoes, then dice them into ½-inch cubes, roughly. Place the diced cubes on a rimmed sheet pan. Toss them with the melted coconut oil or olive oil, salt (1.5 teaspoons unless you are sensitive to salt), and 1 to 2 teaspoons of Aleppo Pepper or Silk chili or to taste. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Check on the sweet potatoes to ensure they are browning evenly, stir them, then return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the sweet potatoes cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan. Using a spatula, release the sweet potatoes from the pan. Taste. Add more flaky sea salt to taste, and, if you wish, a squeeze of lime.
2. Toast the nuts: Place the pine nuts in a small skillet set over low heat. Let the pine nuts toast slowly over this low heat while you prepare the rest of the salad.
3. Assemble the salad: Place the greens in a large bowl. Season with a pinch of sea salt and toss gently to combine. Add the cheese. Add the roasted sweet potatoes to taste (1 to 1.5 cups), and the toasted pine nuts when they have fully toasted (I crank up the heat once everything is assembled). Season with pepper to taste.
4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Taste. The greens should be lightly dressed but should taste seasoned. Add salt, pepper, and more dressing to taste. Once the seasonings are right, serve immediately.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: oven, stovetop
• Cuisine: Amerian

Description

In this fall salad, cubes of chili-roasted sweet potatoes unite with greens, toasted nuts, cheese, and apple cider vinaigrette. It lends itself to improvisation, so don’t be afraid to use what cheese and nuts you have on hand.

Notes:

• Salt: If you are using Morton kosher salt or fine sea salt, use half as much.
• Aleppo pepper: I have been able to find this at two different local grocery stores, which has been a pleasant surprise as I’ve previously ordered it online. You can do an InstaCart search to see if any of your local stores carry it. Silk Chili is the Turkish variety of Aleppo pepper, and I buy large containers of it from Burlap and Barrel.
• Lemon Vinaigrette would be nice here, too.

For the sweet potatoes:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes

• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see notes above

• 1 to 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or Silk Chili, optional, see notes above

• Fresh lime juice to taste, optional

• ⅓ cup pine nuts or other nut: almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia, etc.

• 5 ounces mixed greens, preferably a mix of mostly sturdy greens like Little Gems, Romaine, and Radicchio, with a smaller amount of Arugula or other tender greens

• Flaky sea salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 4 ounces cubed cheese such as Gruyere, Gouda, or Cheddar or crumbled goat cheese, feta or really any cheese you like

• ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette , plus more to taste, see notes above

1. Roast the sweet potatoes : Preheat the oven to 400ºF. While the oven preheats, peel the potatoes, then dice them into ½-inch cubes, roughly. Place the diced cubes on a rimmed sheet pan. Toss them with the melted coconut oil or olive oil, salt (1.5 teaspoons unless you are sensitive to salt), and 1 to 2 teaspoons of Aleppo Pepper or Silk chili or to taste. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Check on the sweet potatoes to ensure they are browning evenly, stir them, then return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the sweet potatoes cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan. Using a spatula, release the sweet potatoes from the pan. Taste. Add more flaky sea salt to taste, and, if you wish, a squeeze of lime.
2. Toast the nuts: Place the pine nuts in a small skillet set over low heat. Let the pine nuts toast slowly over this low heat while you prepare the rest of the salad.
3. Assemble the salad: Place the greens in a large bowl. Season with a pinch of sea salt and toss gently to combine. Add the cheese. Add the roasted sweet potatoes to taste (1 to 1.5 cups), and the toasted pine nuts when they have fully toasted (I crank up the heat once everything is assembled). Season with pepper to taste.
4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Taste. The greens should be lightly dressed but should taste seasoned. Add salt, pepper, and more dressing to taste. Once the seasonings are right, serve immediately.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: oven, stovetop
• Cuisine: Amerian

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2025/10/04/roasted-sweet-potato-fall-salad/

Perfectly moist, made in one bowl, spiced with all the cozy flavors of the season, these pumpkin muffins are heaven, an ideal fall morning breakfast or snack to pack on the go.

Inspired by this recipe for perfectly moist pumpkin bread , these muffins are equally delicious, exceptionally moist, and perfectly portable, making them ideal for packing on the go or quick fall morning breakfasts.

After many experiments, I found a formula that made my ideal muffin. As with the pumpkin bread , I use oil (as opposed to butter), which allows the batter to be mixed in one bowl with a whisk and spatula — no stand mixer required. To make the muffins more — wait for it — muffin-like as opposed to quick-bread like, I replaced the water with buttermilk, which makes for an especially moist texture. (If you don’t have buttermilk you can use regular milk or you can DIY… see recipe box for details).

Finally, in an effort to achieve a muffin with a domed top and nicely burnished hue, I played around using all sorts of combinations of baking soda and baking powder. Baking soda alone left a metallic taste. Baking powder alone yielded a pale, cone-shaped muffin top. A combination of both baking soda and baking powder created the perfect muffin top, nicely domed and beautifully caramelized with no metallic taste.

Finally finally: The key for making a truly irresistible muffin top? Turbinado sugar . I do this with these apple muffins , too.

How to Make One-Bowl Pumpkin Muffins, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients: Canned pumpkin, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, oil, eggs, and buttermilk (or regular milk).

Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl: eggs, oil, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree:

Whisk until smooth.

Add the sugar, salt, spices, and leavenings.

And whisk until smooth.

Finally, add the flour…

… and whisk until smooth.

Divide the batter among 12 wells of a standard muffin tin:

Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if you have it. Granulated sugar works if you don’t.

Transfer to a 375ºF oven and bake for 18 to 21 minutes:

Let them cool for 5 minutes in their pan before transfering them to a cooling rack:

Let them cool again, briefly before…

… tucking in:

Description

Perfectly moist, made in one bowl, spiced with all the cozy flavors of the season, these pumpkin muffins are heaven, a perfect treat for a fall morning or to pack as a snack on the go.

Notes:

• As always, for best results use a digital scale to measure.

• This is my favorite muffin tin .

• An ice cream scoop is helpful for portioning the batter.

• I love these muffin liners , too.

• Turbinado sugar makes for an especially delicious and appetizing muffin top.

• If you don’t have buttermilk, you can either simply use milk or you can DIY: Place 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk (2% or whole) until it reaches the 1/3-cup line. Let stand for five minutes. Use as directed.

• What to do with the leftover canned pumpkin? Make bread .

• 1 cup ( 250 grams ) canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

• 2 eggs (about 120 grams )

• 1/3 cup ( 85 grams ) buttermilk, see notes above

• 1/2 cup ( 115 grams ) grapeseed oil, avocado oil or other neutral oil or olive oil

• 1 cup ( 200 grams ) sugar

• 1.5 teaspoons ( 7 grams ) baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ( 3 grams ) baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon ( 3.5 grams ) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or half as much by volume fine sea salt or Morton kosher salt)

• 1.5 teaspoon ( 3.5 grams ) cinnamon

• a few dashes of freshly grated nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon

• 1/4 teaspoon ( 0.5 grams ) ginger

• 1.5 cups ( 192 grams ) all-purpose flour

• turbinado sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a 12-well muffin tin with muffin liners or grease with butter or non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and buttermilk until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until smooth. Finally whisk in the flour, switching to a spatula at the very end, stirring just until the flour is incorporated.
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this (see notes above). Sprinkle the batter with turbinado sugar, about 1/2 teaspoon per muffin. Alternatively, use granulated sugar.
4. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins feel springy to the touch, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean, or an instant-read thermometer registers 210ºF or above.
5. Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Let cool again briefly before serving.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: Amerian