Roasted Sweet Potato Chicken Salad with fresh greens, lentils, avocado, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and a mouth-watering delicious orange maple balsamic vinaigrette! This hearty salad recipe is incredibly filling and the perfect main dish no matter the time of year.
If you’ve been around The Roasted Root for some time, you know I’m obsessed with huge, filling salads. The kind of salad that makes you feel full for hours and leaves you feeling energized.
Well, my latest installment of Salads That Satisfy is this roasted sweet potato chicken salad. It features fresh greens, lentils (which are one of the most satiating foods in existence), creamy avocado, tangy cranberries, zippy red onion and crunchy pumpkin seeds.
Plus, an orange balsamic vinaigrette that you’ll want to put on all your salads moving forward.
It is the perfect go-to filling lunch or dinner no matter the time of year. I particularly love it in the fall and winter, when I’m craving extra nutritious food and a full belly.
Why You’ll Love This Salad:
What makes this salad unique and special? Two main factors.
First, the combination of high protein chicken, satiating lentils, complex carbs, healthy fats, and fiber makes this a super filling and highly nutritious salad. It’s not your ordinary side salad!
And secondly, all of the flavors come together magically for a meal that covers all of the savory, sweet, umami, tangy flavor bases.
As a bonus, this salad is easy to meal prep for work lunches, and it is highly customizable. Simply make any swaps or additions you love for a nourishing meal!
Let’s discuss the wholesome ingredients that make this salad so tasty.
Roasted Sweet Potato Chicken Salad Ingredients:
Sweet Potato: Buttery, sweet and soft roasted sweet potato adds a complex carb source, injects antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium into the meal. Plus, it tastes amazing as a sweet complement to the savory flavors.
Chicken: Our lean protein source. I recommend using rotisserie chicken to save time, but any kind of homemade grilled chicken or baked chicken works too.
Cooked Lentils: Lentils are a powerhouse food, as they are high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, and plant-based protein. Plus, they are highly satiating, making salad incredibly filling to keep you satisfied for hours.
Spring Greens: The base of the salad! Spring greens are my favorite salad greens, but you can pick your favorite kind of leafy greens. Kale, spinach, and romaine lettuce all work.
Pumpkin Seeds or Sunflower Seeds: Bringing a nutty crunch with some quality micronutrients, we need some raw pumpkin seeds. If you love a golden brown flavor, you can toast the seeds ahead of time.
Dried Cranberries: Bringing sweet and tangy flavor, dried cranberries add a flavor punch that complements the savory essence of the meal.
Red Onion: A little sting of freshness comes from some red onion. Don’t overdo it here!
Avocado: Creamy avocado adds healthy fats, richness, and soft texture.
Feta Cheese (optional): If you’re a fan of feta cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or goat cheese in salads, feel free to toss some in!
Orange Maple Vinaigrette Ingredients:
Avocado Oil: Every great dressing recipe starts with a fat, and I like using avocado oil. Olive oil works too!
Orange Zest: I’m a huge fan of orange zest in salad dressings because it brings a citrus flair with natural sweetness without the overpowering bite that lemon brings.
Balsamic Vinegar: Rich balsamic vinegar adds a boldness to the vinaigrette that is difficult to achieve using any other ingredient.
Lemon Juice: A little lemon juice adds a punch of sour flavor. Swap it out for apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
Garlic Clove: A small amount of fresh garlic adds a subtle kick of heat and fresh flavor.
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Add salt to your dressing to your personal taste. This also brings out the flavors in all the other ingredients in your salad to maximize the flavor experience.
Recipe Customizations:
- Swap out the pumpkin seeds for walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, or any kind of nuts or seeds you love.
- Add fresh blueberries, chopped strawberries, or crisp apples for a sweet nutrient boost.
- Swap the dried cranberries for raisins or omit the dried fruit.
- Add any fresh vegetables you love in salads, such as bell peppers, tomato, shredded carrot, sprouts, etc.
- Use black beans, brown rice, or garbanzo beans instead of lentils. Or, leave out the legume.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make a big, filing salad!
How to Make Roasted Sweet Potato Chicken Salad:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the sweet potato into bite sized chunks and transfer it to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil and sea salt and use your hands to toss so that the sweet potato chunks are coated with oil and salt.
Spread into a single layer and roast sweet potatoes on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and soft on the inside.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Blend the dressing ingredients in a small blender (or mix well in a small bowl). Use right away, or refrigerate until ready to use.
Add all of the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in your desired amount of salad dressing and toss salad until all of the ingredients for the salad are coated in dressing.
Serve in individual large bowls, and enjoy!
Storage Tips:
Dress only the amount of salad you intend to eat so that any leftover salad ingredients can be stored in an airtight container without the dressing. This ensures the ingredients stay crisp and fresh without becoming soggy.
Meal Prep Tips:
- Roast the sweet potato up to 4 days ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the salad.
- Make the dressing up to 5 days ahead of time.
- If you’re bringing the salad to work, prep it the night before (making half or one third of the recipe, or the amount that you want) and store it in an airtight container separate from the dressing. Bring the salad and the dressing to work and dress it just before eating.
The next time you’re craving a salad that will quench all your cravings, whip up this dreamy sweet potato chicken salad!
If you love filling salad recipes like this one, also try some of my other favorite salads.
More Healthy Salad Recipes:
- Crispy Mediterranean Chicken Salad
- Fall Harvest Salad
- Crunchy Kale Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash Lentil Salad
- Filling Winter Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Chicken Spinach Salad
Enjoy this magical chicken sweet potato salad recipe on constant rotation!
Roasted Sweet Potato Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet potato chopped and roasted
- 2 tsp avocado oil
- 5 ounces Spring greens chopped
- 2 to 3 cups rotisserie chicken chopped*
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raw pecans chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 1 avocado diced
- ½ cup feta cheese optional
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped or sliced
Orange Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 navel orange zested
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the sweet potato into bite sized chunks and transfer it to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil and sea salt and use your hands to toss so that the sweet potato chunks are coated with oil and salt. Spread into a single layer and roast sweet potatoes on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and soft on the inside. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature.
- Blend the dressing ingredients in a small blender (or mix well in a small bowl). Use right away, or refrigerate until ready to use.
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in your desired amount of salad dressing and toss salad until all of the ingredients for the salad are coated in dressing.
- Serve in individual large bowls, and enjoy!
