This sweet potato salad is a flavorful twist on classic potato salad. It’s light, healthy, refreshing and also the perfect side dish for BBQs, potlucks, or to feed a crowd.
Team sweet potato or white potato?
I am team sweet potato all the way. Since I was a kid I never liked eating a baked white potato (including mashed potatoes). You could use all the garlic and butter in the world and I still wouldn’t like them (and if you know my cooking, I LOVE garlic! The more the better!).
I enjoy my white potatoes crispy: hash browns, French fries, homemade potato chips, roasted potato hash, etc. On the other hand, I can eat a sweet potato every single way: baked, mashed, fried, and more. To me, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes have a different textures, call me crazy.
Unfortunately for me, when bbq season comes around, the most popular side dish served is regular potato salad. My mom makes an amazing classic potato salad that gets rave reviews. Her recipe is flavorful, but the potatoes just don’t do anything for me.
Switching the potato to sweet potato
One summer when I was asked to bring a side dish to a bbq I decided to switch it up. This sweet potato salad is now my go to for summer occasions and the only potato salad I enjoy.
The sweet potato chunks are combined with chopped red peppers, celery, and red onion to balance the texture of this salad. Then, everything is tossed with a zesty mustard sauce with a secret ingredient….fresh orange juice. The orange juice adds a refreshing subtle citrus flavor to the salad (and no one will even know it’s in there).
No mayo!
Unlike typical potato salads that are doused in mayonnaise, this sweet potato salad uses Greek yogurt for a mayo-free salad. Greek yogurt is a great replacement for mayonnaise because it’s super creamy and tangy, plus you get additional protein.
What are the ingredients to make this salad?
- Sweet potatoes
- Red peppers
- Red onion
- Celery
- Greek yogurt
- Dijon mustard
- Orange juice
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Salt & Pepper
This sweet potato salad is so easy to make and can definitely be made ahead of time. In fact, the flavors actually get better the longer you let it marinate in the refrigerator.
This sweet potato salad pairs great with my Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Feta. In addition, check out more bbq or summer recipes below.
Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad
Watermelon Arugula & Feta Salad
Sweet Potato Salad (no mayo!)
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes washed & Peeled
- 1 red bell pepper diced small
- ¼ medium red onion diced small
- 1-2 celery stalks chopped small - optional
Sauce:
- ⅔ cup Plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice or bottled orange juice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- sea salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Optional garnishes:
- fresh chopped green onion
- Crispy bacon pieces
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds, ~½-¾ inch thick. Be sure to cut the slices as evenly as possible to ensure they cook the same time. Add the sliced sweet potatoes to a large pot and fill with enough water to fully cover the potatoes.
- Bring the water to a boil, boil the sweet potatoes 10-15 minutes. They are done as soon as you are able to pierce them easily with a fork. ** Drain the sweet potatoes and cool them under running cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes boil prep the other ingredients. Add the bell pepper, red onion and celery to a large bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce and stir well to combine.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cooled, cube the sweet potatoes into ½-¾ inch cube pieces and add them to the large bowl with the cut up vegetables. Add the sauce and stir until all the sweet potatoes are coated.
- Garnish with the scallions, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Taste after the hour and add additional seasonings to meet your taste preference.
Nutrition Facts
What’s your favorite way to eat a potato? Share in the comments below. Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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