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Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing. Small red sweet potatoes tossed with a mix of spices, then roasted until lightly charred, crispy, and delicious. Tossed together with kale, orzo, and my creamy lemon honey tahini dressing. Then topped with spicy cheddar cheese and avocado. So much flavor and color in this hearty winter salad! Enjoy for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. It’s the salad that everyone can’t get enough of!
Possibly my favorite salad of all time. Well, I’m not positive about that, but this is such a delicious winter salad. And it’s not boring in the least!
I ADORE salads. Like I really do love them. But I love a salad that can truly be enjoyed as a meal. A hearty salad! My favorite salads usually have something warm, especially in the winter, because aside from ice cream, I really don’t enjoy cold food.
This is my ideal winter salad!
When I set out to create my January recipes, I knew I needed at least one salad. I thought hard about this salad for days and finally landed on just the salad I wanted to create.
It turned out better than the picture I had painted in my head. And whenever that happens, I get overly excited to share! You’re going to want to make this salad several times this winter!
Here are the details
Ingredients – for the salad
- sweet potatoes – red sweet potatoes are my favorite! They have the best color and flavor
- salted butter or olive oil
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- honey
- kale, or swap for your favorite mix of greens!
- sesame seeds
- cooked orzo pasta
- cubes of cheddar cheese – I use the Rattlesnake cheddar from Whole Foods
- avocado
- pomegranate arils
Ingredients – for the dressing
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- tahini
- honey
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic
- parmesan
- chili flakes
Special Tools
Nothing special, but a sheet pan and a salad bowl!
Step 1: roast the sweet potatoes
My sweet potatoes were short and skinny, so I cut them into quarters and roasted larger chunks. You can do the same, or if your potatoes are larger, cube them. I wanted to have the outer pieces of the potatoes crispy, but have more soft flesh inside each potato. Like a baked sweet potato with some charring!
On a baking sheet, toss the potatoes with butter or oil. I prefer butter. Then add the seasonings: chili powder, smoked paprika, honey, and salt.
Roast the potatoes until they’re very soft, about 20 minutes. Smash them with a fork, then roast for another 5 minutes.
Step 2: make the dressing
This is truly one of my favorite dressings. I make it all the time.
A combination of creamy tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, honey, and a couple of teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce. The tahini provides a wonderful creamy dressing, while the honey and Worcestershire sauce add sweet, savory, and salty flavors.
Oh, and parmesan too! It’s just delicious.
Blend all the ingredients with a blender or food processor, then add water as needed to thin the dressing out. You’ll need more water than you think, so make sure you season the dressing with salt.
Step 3: toss the kale
Now, add the kale to a big salad bowl and pour over the dressing. Massage the dressing onto the kale to help break it down and make it less tough.
Top the dressed kale with sweet potatoes, sesame seeds, cooked orzo pasta, and cubes or slices of cheddar.
Then top with the avocado and pomegranate.
This is a wonderfully big and nourishing salad that’s great for winter nights. I love to toss the sweet potatoes on the salad while hot. The cheese gets a little melty from the heat of the potatoes. So yummy!
Excited for you all to try this salad. I hope it brings some color into your January dinners!
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Shredded Brussels Sprout Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad
Lastly, if you make this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 641 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3-4 small sweet potatoes, quartered
- 2 tablespoons salted butter or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 cups shredded kale
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1-2 cups cooked orzo pasta
- 1 cup cubed spicy cheddar cheese
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. On a baking sheet, combine the sweet potatoes, butter/olive oil, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft and charring on the edges. Gently smash them down with a fork. Drizzle each with honey, then bake another 5 minutes until lightly charred. 3. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients and 1/4 cup water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add water to thin the dressing as desired. Season to taste with salt and chili flakes.4. Add the kale to a big salad bowl and pour the dressing over the kale. Massage the dressing into the kale. Top the salad with roasted sweet potatoes, sesame seeds, orzo, and cheese. Arrange the avocado and pomegranate arils on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This post was originally published on January 6, 2025
Made this last night and we all loved it. Also it is so colorful and beautiful. Thank you.
Hi Amy,
Happy Monday! Big thanks for making this recipe and your comment, I love that it turned out well for you!
I brought this beautiful salad to my Thanksgiving dinner with friends. I made a few changes (I can’t stick to a recipe 100%) and I have a few notes for myself for next time.
The butternut squash & tahini dressing were amazing! Pomegranate seeds are a must have. I made a few subs: toasted pecans and feta. I’m loving the left overs!
The mistake I made was using too much kale. The other ingredients disappeared under the kale. Going forward I will use only as a base ingredient. The other was as I was going to serve, I drizzled the dressing all over the salad which covered up it’s beauty. Hey, live and learn.
Thanks! This is a good one.
Hey Brenda,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well for you!
Could I make this ahead of time to include as a Thanksgiving side?
Hey Kirsten,
Totally, this would be a great option for you! I would just wait to add the dressing and avocado until you are ready to serve:) I hope you love this salad!
I didn’t want to go through all the steps to make this salad… but I did, and it is delicious! Would highly recommend. 👍🏻 It is worth it!
Thanks so much, Emily! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Happy September:)
Absolutely AMAZING salad !!!! Thank you for this recipe !!
Hi Patricia! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you’re loving this salad recipe! Makes me sooo happy to hear that! 🙂 xT
This salad kind of reminds me of my favorite salad I always get from Sweetgreen, except this salad is way better! I think I could eat this every day and I’d never get sick of it. Your recipes always have that little extra something different that makes them stand out from the crowd.
Hey Kendra,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Have the best weekend:)
I’ve made this several times and I’m obsessed! 😋
Hey Christina,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Have the best weekend:)
I made part of this: sweet potato and dressing to go with kale salad and it so easy and so delicious. Definitely a keeper!
Hey Steph,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try! xxT
Hi! How long can I store in the fridge with the dressing on?
Hi Mary,
I wouldn’t leave it anymore than 24 hours. If so, I would just keep the dressing on the side. I hope this helps! xT
Excited to make this! Can the dressing be made ahead of time? How long does it stay good? Thanks!
Hey Alison,
You bet! The dressing is good for 1 week in the fridge. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Delicious and filling – this is a great salad if you’re looking for healthy volume eating. It didn’t want to splurge on pomegranate seeds so I ended up dicing up a pear instead and it was perfect. I also replaced the cheddar with feta and it added a lovely tartness. I like prepping this at the beginning of the week and storing the elements separately and then tossing everything together when I’m ready to eat so everything stays fresh.
Hey Emerson,
Thanks so much for making this recipe! Love to hear it turned out well for you:) Have the best week! xxT
Hi Tieghan,
This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it tonight. I have a question though – it looks like you leave the skin for the potatos on? Do you eat the skin? I normally peel my sweet potato’s if I’m adding them to a recipe like this.
Hey Tracy,
Yes, I leave the skin on and eat the skin but you could totally peel the potatoes. I hope you love this recipe! xT
I just watched Jessica at Little Mountain Ranch make your recipe, it looked so good that I just had to have the recipe also. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks so much, Mary! I appreciate you making this salad! Have a great Sunday! xT
We had this salad 4 nights in a row! Basically until the bottle of tahini ran out! My husband loved this and so did I. We got into a boring rut with taco salads and Caesar salads lately…this is a great texture and flavor profile shake-up!
Hi Lauren,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! Have a beautiful Sunday! xx
Savory and filling, this is a perfect winter salad. I swapped out cheddR for Midnight Moon Gouda from Cypress Grove.
Thanks so much, Liz! Love to hear you enjoyed this salad, thanks for making it! xT