Sweet Potato Salad with Pearl Couscous and Honey-Lemon dressing

This sweet potato salad recipe is both hearty and refreshing at the same time. Loaded with almonds, red onion, feta, couscous, arugula, and a honey-lemon dressing, this salad isn’t just full of color and texture—it’s filling enough to be a meal on its own.

As someone who loves hosting, I constantly search for ways to incorporate more salads into my menus, especially during the chillier months of the year. And this sweet potato salad recipe checks all the boxes! 

It’s vibrant, flavorful, and enjoyable to eat, loaded with nutrition, and full of interesting texture and flavors. First, I roast sweet potatoes until they caramelize then pair them with pearl couscous, salty feta cheese, fresh red onions, crunchy almonds, peppery arugula, and a sweet and tangy honey-lemon dressing.

It’s simple to whip up and works well as a side dish, main course, or even a fantastic option for potlucks or holiday gatherings. Plus, it’s packed with nutrients and the various elements can be prepared well in advance and combined just before serving.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Salad

Making this sweet potato salad is super simple and inexpensive! A few veggies, some couscous, feta, nuts, a tangy dressing, and here you have it. Here’s what you’ll need to put it all together:

• Sweet potatoes are the hero ingredient in this salad. I roast them until they are caramelized on the outside, tender in the middle, and slightly charred. More on choosing the best sweet potatoes for salad below. 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper are key seasonings to enhance the flavors of the other salad elements. 
• Pearl couscous soaks up the delicious dressing, which adds a lovely overall flavor to the salad.
  • TRY IT:  You can find our favorite pearl couscous in our shop.
• Baby Arugula adds a slight peppery bitterness that pairs well with the sweet potato. 
• Onion: Raw, thinly sliced red onion adds pungent sweetness and crunch.
• Feta cheese adds a lovely creaminess and saltiness to the salad. It pairs wonderfully well with the sweet potato and honey dressing.
• Almonds: Toasted slivered almonds add nuttiness and crunch. 
• Honey helps balance the acid and salt in the dressing. This is an application where herbal Greek honey would be delicious. 
• Lemon juice adds a refreshing citrusy acidity to the salad dressing. 
• Garlic is one of those ingredients that can easily overpower foods. I like to add it to the honey-lemon dressing to give it a savory edge, but you can omit it altogether if you prefer.
• Mustard helps thicken the dressing while adding great peppery flavor. You can use course or smooth dijon mustard. Both are delicious. 
• Extra virgin olive oil acts as the base for the salad dressing. I recommend using your best extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. It adds flavor and is so good for you!
  • READ MORE: Olive Oil 101: Everything You Need to Know
  • TRY IT: Premium-quality extra virgin olive oils from Italy, Greece, Spain, and California.

How to Make Sweet Potato Salad

This salad is easy to make, can be prepared in advance, and assembled when desired. The critical thing to note is that everything must be at room temperature or cold when assembled. Hot or warm couscous, almonds, or sweet potatoes will wilt the arugula. 

• Prepare the sweet potatoes. Peel and cut the sweet potato into bite-size 3/4-inch pieces. Place the sweet potato in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until the sweet potatoes are evenly coated with oil. 
• Bake the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potato in a single layer on a lined baking tray and sprinkle with additional salt. Please do not be shy about seasoning; vegetables require salt to bring out their flavor.   Bake for 30-45 minutes, tossing halfway, until the potatoes are soft, caramelized and slightly charred. Set aside to cool.
• Make the couscous. The lovely thing about adding couscous is that it needs no cooking. Drizzle olive oil into a small pot or bowl, then add the couscous and salt. Mix and top with boiling water. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let it sit until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid. This should take 5-10 minutes. Uncover and fluff up using a fork. Set aside to cool completely.
• Toast the almonds. Add the almonds to a pan and toast them over low to medium heat, tossing until golden brown—it should take 5 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they can brown very quickly. Set aside to cool.
• Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard, lemon juice, and honey. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed; the dressing should have a tangy kick. Whisk again to blend the ingredients just before dressing the salad. 
• Assemble the salad and serve. Choose a large platter (rather than a deep bowl), and place the arugula in an even layer on the bottom. Next, top with a few teaspoons of the dressing, mix gently to coat, then scatter the caramelized onion, half the toasted almond slivers, and the cooked couscous over the top. Add the roasted sweet potato in an even layer and top with feta cheese, the remaining almonds, and dressing. Gently toss and serve immediately.

The Best Sweet Potatoes for Sweet Potato Salad

I love any form of potato and enjoy them cooked in every possible way. But sweet potatoes are on another level. Their sweetness and delicateness add complexity and fantastic flavor to many dishes. They are also filling, nutritious, easy to prepare, and delicious. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A, C, and potassium and are low-glycemic; however, the orange varieties have substantially more antioxidants! Here are some tips for buying the best sweet potatoes for this salad recipe: 

• Sweet potatoes come in various colors: red, gold, purple, and white. The most common varieties we find available at grocery stores are Beauregard (deep orange flesh), Jewel (light orange flesh), and Garnet, also known as the red yam (dark orange-red skin). You can use any type you like in this sweet potato salad recipe. 
• A sweet potato should be firm and have smooth skin.  Do not select soft, mushy, or sprouted ones. Avoid those with any brown or black spots or discoloration. Bright, uniform sweet potatoes will have the best flavor!
• Size matters! Choose small to medium-sized sweet potatoes. These have less starch, are more moist than large ones, and tend to be creamier and sweeter.

Swaps and Substitutions 

There are so many variations that you can make to adapt this recipe to your tastes. When it comes to mixing things up, I like to add dried cranberries, tart cherries, or fresh pomegranate seeds for added freshness and sweetness. Here are a few more easy swaps: 

• Sweet potato: Butternut squash.
• Couscous: Brown rice, wild rice, farro, or any other cooked whole grain. 
• Arugula: Baby spinach, baby kale, or mixed greens.
• Almonds: Walnuts or pine nuts. Or, to make it nut-free, pepitas or sunflower seeds. 
• Feta Cheese: Crumbled fresh goat cheese.
• Lemon juice: Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.
• Honey: Maple syrup.

Sweet Potato Salad Tips

To ensure the salad is crispy and vibrant, there are a few tips to achieve this.

• Ensure the sweet potatoes are all cut the same size to cook evenly.  
• Let the potatoes cool completely before tossing them in the salad. Otherwise, the arugula will wilt and lose its vibrant color. 
• Always add the dressing just before serving so that the salad remains vibrant and crispy.

How to Store Sweet Potato Salad

As with most salads, storing this one is not ideal once the dressing has been added. However, if you have leftovers, you can place them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The salad will lose some crunch, and the arugula will wilt slightly. For optimum taste, eat it all on the same day.

That said, this Sweet Potato Salad recipe is great for meal prep if you make and store the components in separate airtight containers. Bake the sweet potatoes up to a day in advance. After letting them cool, store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you can assemble the salad. 

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Salad

This salad can be served cold or at room temperature, making it an excellent choice for parties or a midweek dinner.

It would also make a delicious side dish for marinated, grilled chicken breasts, grilled swordfish or Chicken Piccata Meatballs. If you want to create a vegetarian feast, pair it with Whole Roasted Cauliflower or Cabbage Steaks.

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