Looking for some Thanksgiving inspiration? Roasted Sweet Potato Cranberry Salad features assorted leafy greens with roasted sweet potatoes, jammy cranberries, thinly sliced red onion, creamy gorgonzola cheese, and crunchy, savory cornbread granola bits.
Roasted Sweet Potato Cranberry Salad
Add whole-grain mustard and maple syrup vinaigrette for a bright flavor with a little sweetness and a little tartness. This beautiful salad is a great Thanksgiving side dish that will look amazing on your table.
Thanksgiving Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potato Cranberry Salad combines typical Thanksgiving ingredients but in a different presentation. Sweet potatoes and cranberries are roasted together with maple syrup, orange juice, and rosemary to be served as a sweet and tart component of this fall salad recipe.


In a twist, cornbread is combined with smoked almonds, oats, and minced rosemary to create a crunchy and savory granola topping. These crackly bits are addictive - I find myself snacking on them.
Salad Components
The Roasted Sweet Potato Cranberry Salad is composed of 4 different recipe preparations.
- Savory Cornbread Granola
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries
- Wholegrain Mustard and Maple Vinaigrette
- Salad Ingredients
Don't be put off by the list - the preparation for the ingredients is minimal and doesn't require a lot of time. Most of the components can be made a day ahead so that you aren't tied to the stove on Thanksgiving.
Savory Cornbread Granola


Ingredients
- dry, cubed cornbread
- oats
- chopped smoked almonds
- minced fresh rosemary
- raw sugar
- egg whites
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- cayenne pepper
Making granola
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk 2 egg whites and 1 tablespoon of olive oil together until slightly frothy.
- Add oats, cornbread cubes, minced rosemary, chopped smoked almonds, raw sugar, salt, and pepper.


- Lightly toss the ingredients until covered with the egg white/olive oil mix. You don't want the cornbread to break apart into crumbs.
- Pour the granola ingredients onto the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Toss the granola on the sheet pan to redistribute the ingredients. Put the sheet pan back in the oven for another 12 minutes. Let the granola cool.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries
Ingredients
- peeled and diced sweet potatoes
- fresh rosemary
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- olive oil
- fresh cranberries
- orange zest and juice
- maple syrup
Roasting
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss sweet potatoes with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Place on a sheet pan.
- Add 20 rosemary leaves to the pan, tossing to combine, and coat with olive oil.


- Place the sweet potatoes in the oven. While they are roasting, rinse the cranberries. Pick out any that are soft or mushy.
- Using the same bowl that the sweet potatoes were combined with the olive oil, add the cranberries, orange zest and juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine.


- After the sweet potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, add the cranberries to the sheet pan. Combine all ingredients.
- Roast for another 15 minutes. Take the sheet pan out of the oven and pour 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over the ingredients. Let cool.


Wholegrain Mustard and Maple Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- wholegrain mustard
- maple syrup
- apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- olive oil
Whisking
- Combine whole-grain mustard, maple syrup, and apple cider. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper, mixing. Let the salt dissolve for 3-5 minutes.
- While whisking, add olive oil in a steam. Whisk until emulsified.
Assembling the Salad
Additional Ingredients
- assorted greens
- red onion
- Gorgonzola cheese
- salt and pepper


Combine
- Wash and spin-dry assorted lettuce. You can prepare the greens ahead of time, refrigerating them until you are ready to assemble the salad.
- In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with a pinch of kosher salt and a pinch of ground black pepper.
- Add the thinly sliced red onion and gorgonzola cheese to the bowl.
- Add the vinaigrette to the bowl, tossing the ingredients to combine.
- Remove the rosemary leaves from the roasted sweet potatoes and cranberries. Add to the bowl of lettuce, tossing to combine.
- Garnish with 1 cup of savory cornbread granola pieces and serve.


Tips
- The salad components can be made a day ahead of time and tossed together just before serving.
- Adding salt and pepper to the lettuce makes a big difference in the taste of the salad.
- Real maple syrup should be used. The caramel notes of the syrup add depth of flavor.
- It is best to use stale or dry cornbread. You can put the cubes in a 325-degree oven for a few minutes to dry them out if the cornbread is too moist.
Bright Fresh Flavor
A green salad can add bright fresh flavor to your Thanksgiving table. Roasted Sweet Potato Cranberry Salad is a side that combines many of the favorite ingredients of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It is a great vegetarian option.


It will look beautiful on your Thanksgiving table!
Other fall salad recipes -
https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/autumn-kale-and-pear-salad/
https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/fall-harvest-salad/
Recipe
Roasted Sweet Potato Cranberry Salad
Equipment
- 2 sheet pans
- 1 large bowl
- 1 salad spinner optional
- 1 microplane
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 whisk
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
Savory Corn Bread Granola
- 1½ cups dry, cubed cornbread (2.7 ounces/77 grams)
- ½ cup oats (1.5 ounces/43 grams)
- ½ cup smoked almonds, chopped (2 ounces/57 grams)
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1½ tablespoons raw sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries
- 1½ cups diced sweet potatoes (8 ounces/220 grams)
- 20 leaves fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅙ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (7 ounces/198 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Wholegrain Mustard and Maple Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
Salad Ingredients
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion (2.4 ounces/64 grams)
- 1 cup gorgonzola chunks (2.5 ounces/72 grams)
- salt and pepper
- 6 cups assorted lettuce greens
Instructions
Savory Cornbread Granola
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk 2 egg whites and 1 tablespoon of olive oil together until slightly frothy.
- Add oats, cornbread cubes, minced rosemary, chopped smoked almonds, raw sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Lightly toss the ingredients until covered with the egg white/olive oil mix. You don't want the cornbread to break apart into crumbs.
- Pour the granola ingredients onto the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Toss the granola on the sheet pan to redistribute the ingredients.
- Put the sheet pan back in the oven for another 12 minutes. Let the granola cool.
- It should be in clumps - crunchy and stuck together. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Makes 3 cups which is more than you need for the salad but it is a great snack! This step can be prepared the day before. Store in a covered container.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Peel and chop a large sweet potato into ½-inch dice. You will need 1½ cups.
- Toss sweet potatoes with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Place on a sheet pan.
- Add 20 rosemary leaves to the pan, tossing to combine and coat with olive oil.
- Place the sweet potatoes in the oven. While they are roasting, rinse the cranberries. Pick out any that are soft or mushy.
- Using the same bowl that the sweet potatoes were combined with the olive oil, add the cranberries, orange zest and juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- After the sweet potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, add the cranberries to the sheet pan. Combine all ingredients.
- Roast for another 15 minutes. Take the sheet pan out of the oven and pour 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over the ingredients. Let cool.
- This step can be prepared ahead of time. Makes 1½ cups.
Whole Grain Mustard and Maple Vinaigrette
- Combine whole-grain mustard, maple syrup, and apple cider. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper, mixing. Let the salt dissolve for 3-5 minutes.
- While whisking, add olive oil in a steam. Whisk until emulsified.
- Makes an abundant ⅓ cup. The vinaigrette can be prepared ahead of time.
Assemble Roasted Sweet Potato Cranberry Salad
- Wash and spin-dry assorted lettuce. You can prepare the greens ahead of time, refrigerating them until you are ready to assemble the salad.
- In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with a pinch of kosher salt and a pinch of ground black pepper.
- Add the thinly sliced red onion and gorgonzola cheese to the bowl.
- Add the vinaigrette to the bowl, tossing the ingredients to combine.
- Remove the rosemary leaves from the roasted sweet potatoes and cranberries. Add to the bowl of lettuce, tossing to combine.
- Garnish with 1 cup of savory cornbread granola pieces and serve.
Notes
Tips
- The salad components can be made a day ahead of time and tossed together just before serving.
- Adding salt and pepper to the lettuce makes a big difference in the taste of the salad.
- Real maple syrup should be used. The caramel notes of the syrup add depth of flavor.
- It is best to use stale or dry cornbread. You can put the cubes in a 325-degree oven for a few minutes to dry them out if the cornbread is too moist.
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