Roasted Sweet Potato Brown Rice Salad with pecans, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and a fresh and zesty orange ginger dressing. This easy side dish is packed with sweet warm flavors and an array of textures to complete a delicious meal!
Lately, I’ve been all about carby side dishes to make cold weather meal times feel extra cozy. Like a warm hug wrapped in a fuzzy blanket for the belly and soul.
I enjoyed my Roasted Butternut Squash Lentil Salad so assertively that I wanted to repeat the experience using some ingredient changeups. So I swapped the lentils for brown rice, the butternut squash for sweet potatoes, and with a couple of other tweaks, this easy brown rice salad was born.
In addition to the beautiful infusion of complex carbohydrates, my favorite part about this easy recipe is the huge kaleidoscope of sweet and savory flavors with both soft and crunchy textures. What I mean to say is it’s a rodeo for your mouth!
The way I see it, this simple side dish is ideal for the fall and winter months when we’re all craving comfort food and it also performs magically at holiday gatherings. Plus, it saves well and is ideal for meal prepping for busy weeknights.
Let’s chat about the simple ingredients for this hearty brown rice salad recipe.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Brown Rice Salad:
Brown Rice: The base of this grain salad is short grain or long grain brown rice, which is loaded with complex carbohydrates and some fiber.
Sweet Potato: The naturally sweet flavor and soft texture of sweet potato adds another delicious carbohydrate source. Sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants for a nutrient-dense addition to any dish.
Red Onion: Roasted onion adds deeply rich flavor, which gives the salad a bold taste.
Raw Pecans and Pumpkin Seeds: A nutty crunch comes from a handful of chopped pecans and some pumpkin seeds. For crunchier texture or richer flavor, you can toast up the pecans and pumpkin seeds for a few minutes in a skillet until they are lightly golden brown.
Dried Cranberries: A big burst of sweetness and tangy flavor, dried cranberries are a crucial element to bring the flavors full circle.
Orange Ginger Dressing Ingredients:
Fresh Orange Zest: A bright burst of orange flavor complements the roasted sweet potato perfectly! If you aren’t in love with the idea of it, you can skip it, but I find the orange flavor really makes the whole recipe pop. Swap it for lemon zest if you prefer.
Fresh Ginger: A similar concept to the orange zest, fresh grated ginger adds a zing of subtle heat for a unique flavor that ties the experience in a beautiful bow.
Avocado Oil: Every great dressing begins with a fat! I love using avocado oil or olive oil in my dressing recipes due to their healthy fat content and rich flavor.
Balsamic Vinegar: Brings rich tangy flavor to serve as the backbone of the dressing. Use fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar instead if you prefer.
Fresh Garlic: A big pop of fresh flavor comes from raw garlic! You can increase or decrease the amount to your personal taste. I find one small clove works great.
Ground Cinnamon: Stay with me here. Cinnamon adds a little je ne sais quoi to the flavor profile to give it a warm and cozy vibe. If you can’t get on board, simply skip it.
Sea Salt: Season the salad to taste using salt and black pepper.
Recipe Customizations:
- Swap out the pecans and/or pumpkin seeds for your favorite nuts and seeds. Walnuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews are all great options.
- Add more fresh vegetables to the salad by roasting them up with the sweet potato. Broccoli, cauliflower, red bell peppers, green beans, any kind of root vegetable such as beets, turnips, parsnips, etc. are all lovely.
- Swap the brown rice for wild rice, white rice, lentils, or a can of beans, such as garbanzo beans or white beans.
- Add a bunch of chopped green onions for even more flavor.
- Toss in 2/3 cup of feta cheese if you’re a feta lover!
How to Make Roasted Sweet Potato Brown Rice Salad:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rinse the sweet potato well, then chop it into small chunks. Similarly, slice the red onion into slices.
Transfer the chopped sweet potato and onion to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle on the avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Toss the ingredients together until the potato and onion are coated in oil and salt. Roast on the center rack of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the veggies are golden brown.
While the veggies are roasting, cook the brown rice according to the package instructions.
Similarly, mix the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl or blend them using a small blender such as a Magic Bullet. Set the dressing aside until you’re ready to use it.
Once fully cooked, transfer the rice and the roasted vegetables to a large bowl or a serving bowl. Add in the chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
Pour in the orange ginger dressing and toss everything together until all of the ingredients are coated in dressing and evenly distributed.
Taste the brown rice salad for flavor and season it to your personal taste with sea salt and black pepper. If need be, you can add any additional ingredients for flavor, like more oil, balsamic vinegar, or orange zest.
Serve this easy brown rice salad alongside your main dish, and enjoy! You can serve the side dish at room temperature or warm. I prefer serving it warm.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I love adding protein to this nutty rice salad and enjoying it for a light lunch.
Looking for main dishes to pair with this easy grain salad recipe? Here are some of my top picks.
What To Serve With Brown Rice Salad:
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Baked Sockeye Salmon
- The Best Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Crock Pot Shredded Korean BBQ Chicken
- Balsamic Glazed Salmon
I enjoy chopping up some grilled or baked chicken breast and adding it in for a complete meal.
If you’re hunting for more healthy vegetable side dishes, also try out these gems!
More Healthy Side Dish Recipes:
- Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
- Lemon Garlic Cabbage Green Bean Wild Rice Salad
- Orange Balsamic Maple Roasted Vegetables
- Cinnamon Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
- Roasted Delicata Squash
Enjoy this hearty carb fest!
Roasted Sweet Potato Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 medium-sized sweet potato (480g, 1 pound)
- ½ red onion cut into slices
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- Sea salt to taste
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
For the Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 to 2 tsp orange zest optional
- 1 to 2 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated, optional
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Rinse the sweet potato well, then chop it into small chunks. Similarly, slice the red onion into slices.
- Transfer the chopped sweet potato and onion to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle on the avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss the ingredients together until the potato and onion are coated in oil and salt. Roast on the center rack of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the veggies are golden brown.
- While the veggies are roasting, cook the brown rice according to the package instructions.
- Similarly, mix the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl or blend them using a small blender such as a Magic Bullet. Set the dressing aside until you’re ready to use it.
- Once fully cooked, transfer the rice and the roasted vegetables to a large bowl or a serving bowl. Add in the chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
- Pour in the orange ginger dressing and toss everything together until all of the ingredients are coated in dressing and evenly distributed. Taste the brown rice salad for flavor and season it to your personal taste with sea salt and black pepper. If need be, you can add any additional ingredients for flavor, like more oil, balsamic vinegar, or orange zest.
- Serve this easy brown rice salad alongside your main dish, and enjoy! You can serve the side dish at room temperature or warm. I prefer serving it warm.
This rice was so delicious! It almost tasted like dessert. I highly recommend using the optional orange zest and ginger. Those flavors really popped for me. I served it with chicken thighs and fried plantains. This would make a lovely side dish for a fall or winter special-occasion meal.
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it, Dulcie! I just loved how the dish turned out, and I agree – it’s almost like a tasty treat!
This Roasted Sweet Potato and Brown Rice Salad looks so vibrant, satisfying, and full of incredible texture—it’s the perfect hearty, healthy meal
Can’t wait till I make it. 😋
I hope you love it! I powered through it in less than a day… I just love all those warm flavors!