Name: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 6 cups sweet potatoes (chopped into bite sized pieces); 1 Tbsp avocado oil; Sea salt; 1 honeycrisp apple (cored and chopped); 1 avocado (diced); 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes (halved); ⅓ cup red onion (finely chopped); ⅔ cup feta cheese crumbles; ⅔ cup pistachios (chopped); ⅓ cup avocado oil; 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 small clove garlic (minced)

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples, tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, red onion, pistachios, and balsamic vinaigrette. This hearty side dish includes all the best flavors and textures for the perfect pairing to just about any main dish.

Blue plate full of roasted sweet potatoes, apples, tomatoes, feta, and more with a gold fork to the side for eating.

I recently shared on Instagram that I’m pregnant with my first kiddo, so of course I’m being asked about my weird pregnancy cravings constantly.

In my opinion, my cravings have been pretty typical. Fruit, meat, and dairy is what I’m going for the most, with the occasional lightly sweet treat at the end of the day.

Assembling all of the ingredients I was craving in the very moment that I was grocery shopping, this magical side dish of Roasted Sweet Potatoes and apples was born. It includes tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, pistachios, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette for an enormous array of color, texture, and flavor.

We’ve got sweet, savory, sour flavors with soft, crisp, and crunchy textures. For me, this combination of ingredients is the ultimate dream, and you best believe I powered through a good portion of it for lunch, right after taking photos.

Because I’ve been consistently craving sweet potatoes, I modeled the recipe off of my Roasted Sweet Potato Salad. I changed up the additions and the dressing to give it a whole new flavor profile with even greater freshness.

While all of these fresh ingredients together may seem a little odd, I assure you, it just works! I’m confident a non-pregnant person will enjoy this rainbow display of eccentricity just as much as I do.

Ingredient Notes:

Sweet Potatoes: The main ingredient in this hearty side dish, sweet potatoes provide a carbohydrate backdrop with lots of Vitamins, antioxidants, and a soft texture.

Apple: Crisp crunchy sweet apples add natural sweetness and crunchy texture to the dish. I like using a honeycrisp apple because they are both sweet and sour, but you can choose your favorite apple.

Tomatoes: Providing pops of juiciness and a little acidity, cherry tomatoes bring a big pop of freshness to the mix.

Avocado: Creamy avocado adds richness and creamy texture.

Feta Cheese: A big boost of tangy flavor and cheesy goodness comes from feta cheese. Replace it with goat cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or parmesan cheese if you prefer.

Pistachios: I love adding a nutty crunch to just about everything, and pistachios do a fabulous job here. Swap them out for walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.

Red Onion: A zing of fresh onion flavor with subtle heat comes from red onion. If you prefer a softer onion flavor, swap it out for 4 chopped green onions.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:

Avocado Oil or Olive Oil: Every great dressing begins with a quality oil. I like using avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Balsamic Vinegar: Adds sweetness, tanginess, and sour flavor to offset the richness of the oil.

Dijon Mustard: More earthy tangy flavor to enhance the whole experience.

Fresh Garlic: A little garlic clove goes a long way in boosting the flavor profile of the dressing and adding freshness to the dish.

Recipe Customizations:

For added sweet flavor, add 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup or a touch of brown sugar to the dressing.
Include savory spices such as black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, or chili powder to the roast sweet potatoes for a more savory flavor.
Toss in some cooked and cooled brown rice and/or a drained can of black beans, plus use extra dressing for a more substantial side dish.
Include some other seasonal vegetables, such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or butternut squash.
Add in some rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken for a complete meal.
Include fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, or fresh mint for an infusion of fresh herb flavor.

How to Make Roasted Sweet Potato with Apples:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop 3 to 4 small to medium-sized sweet potatoes into bite-sized chunks for a total of 6 cups of cubed sweet potatoes. Spread the chopped sweet potato chunks on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle with avocado oil, then sprinkle with sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together until the sweet potato cubes are coated in oil and seasoning. Be sure the spread the potatoes into a single layer for even baking.

Roasted sweet potatoes on a baking sheet.

Roast on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Use a spatula to get underneath the potatoes to give them a good stir. Continue roasting for another 5 minutes or until they are golden brown and soft on the inside. Set the potatoes aside to cool all the way to room temperature on the sheet pan.

Transfer the chopped apple, diced avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and pistachios to a large mixing bowl along with the roasted and cooled sweet potatoes.

Large stainless steel bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, red onion, and more.

In a small bowl, stir together the avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic.

balsamic marinade blended in a blender, ready to use.

Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss everything well until the ingredients are well coated with dressing.

Stainless steel bowl full of roasted sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, apples, pistachios, avocado, and more. two wooden spoons are inside the bowl for stirring and serving.

Serve it room temperature or chilled alongside your main dish, and enjoy.

Storage Suggestions:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. This salad is best when served fresh, as it contains both avocado and apple which both oxidize with time. For the best results, enjoy the salad within one day of preparing it.

Recipe Tips

If you’re using this as a meal prep recipe, wait just until serving to add the chopped apple and avocado. This maximizes the freshness of the easy side dish.
For crispy roasted sweet potatoes, bake the potatoes slightly longer (about 5-8 minutes more) in an even layer, until you get some crispy edges and tender centers. The total cook time will depend on the size of the cubes.

The next time you’re craving a big variety of flavors and textures and are vibing on fresh produce, whip up this magnificent side dish.

For me, this is the perfect side dish to enjoy with weeknight dinners no matter the time of year. It is also suitable for your Thanksgiving dinner in my opinion!

Blue plate of roasted sweet potatoes, apples, feta cheese, tomatoes, avocado and pistachios.

If you’re looking for more healthy side dishes to keep your produce game alive, try some of my other personal favorites.