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Sweet Potato Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Dressing. Smoky, sweet, and spicy sweet potatoes roasted in a mix of seasonings, then tossed with shredded kale, sesame seeds, crispy bacon, and juicy pomegranates. Toss the salad with my warm sweet and tangy cider dressing with fresh citrus and ginger. So much flavor and color in this kale salad! Share this salad with friends and family at your next holiday meal or dinner party. It’s the salad that everyone can’t get enough of!
The holiday recipes are back-to-back this week! It’s such a fun time of year to share new recipes – my favorite actually! Even though things are busy, sharing recipes with you all during the holidays is the most special to me. I’m so lucky that I get to do this every single year!
When I get messages about how certain recipes have been shared and loved with family and friends, it just makes me the happiest!
I don’t think any holiday table is complete without a big, beautiful salad.
For holiday salads, I love to use kale as my greens. With kale, I know I can make the salad the morning of or even the day before if I need to. The greens always hold up so well!
This will be a great salad to complement all of your holiday dinners! The flavors are smoky, with some sweetness and spice. It’s delish!
Here are the details
Ingredients
- sweet potatoes – red sweet potatoes are my favorite! They have the best color and flavor
- salted butter or olive oil
- smoked paprika
- chipotle chili powder
- cinnamon
- kale, or swap your favorite mix of greens!
- sesame seeds
- pomegranate arils
- chili flakes
- bacon
- shallot
- apple cider vinegar
- honey
- fresh thyme
- pickled or fresh ginger
Special Tools
Nothing special, but a skillet and a salad bowl are key!
Step 1: roast the sweet potatoes
My sweet potatoes were long and skinny, so I sliced them into rounds. You can do the same, or if your potatoes are larger, cube them.
On a baking sheet, toss the potatoes with butter or oil. I prefer butter. Then add the seasonings, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Roast until the potatoes until they are very soft, about 20 minutes.
Step 2: make the dressing
Use the time while the potatoes roast to make the dressing.
First, crisp the bacon and drain off the excess fat. Then, using the same skillet, cook the shallot until it’s caramelized. Add the apple cider, thyme, orange zest, honey, and ginger. Season the dressing with salt and chili flakes.
Step 3: toss the kale
Now, add the kale to a big salad bowl and pour over the warm dressing. Massage the dressing onto the kale to help break it down and make it less tough.
Finish up the salad
To the bowl of dressed kale, add the roasted sweet potatoes and top with sesame seeds. Finish with crispy bacon and pomegranate arils.
It is going to be so pretty!
It’s a wonderfully simple salad that’s perfect for all your holiday entertaining—whether it’s Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or Christmas!
Hoping you all give this delicious wintery salad a try!
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Shredded Brussels Sprout Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad
Lastly, if you make this Sweet Potato Bacon Salad be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sweet Potato Ginger Salad
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 374 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. On a baking sheet, combine the sweet potatoes, butter/olive oil, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft and charing on the edges. 3. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain onto a paper towel. Wipe the skillet clean. 4. To the same skillet, add the olive oil and shallot. Cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly. Add the apple cider vinegar, honey, thyme, orange zest, and ginger. Season with salt and chili flakes.5. Add the kale to a big salad bowl and pour the dressing over the kale, massaging the dressing into the kale. Top the salad with roasted sweet potatoes and sesame seeds. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils and crumbled bacon on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
