Roasted Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprout Salad with Maple Dijon
Caramelized sweet potato cubes and deeply browned halved brussels sprouts, tossed warm in a glossy amber maple dijon dressing with pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese. The dressing goes on after roasting so nothing burns.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 1 pound brussels sprouts trimmed and halved through the stem
- 1 small red onion cut into ½ inch wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup pecan halves roughly chopped and toasted
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
Maple Dijon Dressing
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
Roast the Vegetables
- Heat the oven to 425F and let it hold that temperature for a full 10 minutes before the pan goes in.
- Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Spread them on a rimmed sheet pan in a single layer with space between them and roast 8 minutes.
- Toss the halved sprouts and onion wedges with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Pull the pan out, push the potatoes to one side, and lay every sprout cut face down against the hot metal.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast 25 minutes more, until the sweet potato corners are dark and a knife tip slides in easily, and the sprout cut faces are deep brown.
Make the Dressing
- While the vegetables roast, whisk the Dijon, cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together until smooth.
- Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until the dressing is glossy, opaque, and amber brown. It should coat the back of a spoon.
Assemble
- Tip the hot vegetables into a large bowl and pour over about three quarters of the dressing. Toss gently so the sprout halves stay intact.
- Add the toasted pecans and dried cranberries and toss once more. Taste and add the remaining dressing if you want it.
- Scatter the crumbled goat cheese over the warm salad and serve straight away.
Notes
- Never roast in the dressing: maple syrup is sugar and it burns black on thin sprout leaves long before the sweet potato is cooked.
- Cut side down: laying each sprout half against the hot pan is what gives you a deep brown face instead of a beige one.
- Make ahead: the dressing keeps 5 days refrigerated and the vegetables can be cut the night before. Roast the same day.
- Holding it: keep the goat cheese back and crumble it on right before serving.
- Leftovers: 3 days in the fridge, good cold.