Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

This Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Pomegranate Seeds is full of flavour and crunch from toasted almonds and fresh snap peas. A cumin-spiked dressing rounds this colourful salad out.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Pomegranate Seeds:

• 4 sweet potatoes, roasted
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice
• 2 small packages of snap peas
• 1/2 large head of purple cabbage, thinly shredded
• 2 pomegranates
• Slivered almonds
• Fresh mint
• Olive oil
• Coriander
• Cumin
• 1 lemon (for the juice)
• Salt and pepper

How to get the pomegranate seeds out of a pomegranate:

Here’s the easiest and I think, the best way to get the pomegranate seeds out of a pomegranate:

• Cut the pomegranate in half, down the middle
• Place a large bowl to catch the seeds in the sink (helps prevent pomegranate juice from getting everywhere)
• Hold one half of the pomegranate, seeds down, in your palm
• With a wooden spoon, whack the back of the pomegranate as you hold it over the bowl in the sink
• The seeds will fall out between your fingers, right into the bowl!
• Between whacks, check to see if there are areas of the pomegranate that aren’t letting up the seeds and whack in the spot accordingly😄

How long does this salad with pomegranate seeds and sweet potatoes stay fresh for?

It keeps for up to two days in the fridge. I find the cabbage starts to have a slightly different flavour after day 2. So make this for your next get together or potluck and eat it up!

Want to cut the time in making this salad?

You can roast the sweet potatoes and cook the rice the day before you want to make the salad. Then it comes together quite quickly. Just keep the roasted sweet potatoes and rice in separate containers in the fridge until you want to put the salad together.

Got leftovers? This recipe is perfect for leftover sweet potatoes or extra rice.

I hope you enjoy this salad with pomegranate seeds and sweet potatoes!

~April

Here are some more healthy and gluten-free recipes to check out:

• Sheet Pan Maple Dijon Chicken and Broccoli Bake
• Fresh Herb Salad with Chickpeas and Feta
• Easy Butter Lettuce and Pomegranate Salad
• Healthy Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup (no beans)
• Easy Quinoa Salad with Feta
• Cranberry and Orange Oatmeal Scones
• Easy Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

This recipe was originally posted on November 14th, 2016 and re-published on November 16th, 2021 with updated recipe notes and photos.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Purple Cabbage and Pomegranates

April

This Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Pomegranate Seeds is full of flavour and crunch from toasted almonds and fresh snap peas. A cumin-spiked dressing rounds this colourful salad out.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8 cups

Ingredients

  

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, diced about 6 cups diced
• 2 small packages of snap peas roughly chopped, about 2 cups
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked
• ½ large head purple cabbage 4 cups, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds 1 large pomegranate
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• Fresh mint

Dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Fresh pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Wash and roughly peel sweet potatoes. Cut into bite-sized cubes. Place on baking trays. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some salt over them. Roast in oven at 425F for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.
• Meanwhile, cook rice to package instructions. Let cool.
• Thinly slice the 1/2 cabbage by hand or use a Mandolin. Set into a large bowl. Cut snow peas in half and add to the bowl.
• Remove pomegranate seeds from the pomegranate. Set aside.
• Toast slivered almonds in a small pan over medium heat until brown, about 5 minutes. Watch they don’t burn. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Once everything is cooled, add the sweet potatoes, brown rice and pomegranate seeds to the bowl.
• Whisk dressing ingredients together. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
• Put on serving platter or large bowl. Top with toasted almonds and fresh torn mint.

Notes

Make ahead steps: roast the sweet potatoes and cook the rice the day before you want to serve this salad. It makes is so much easier to bring it all together if you start with those steps done.

Substitutions: you could use basmati rice instead of brown rice. And if you can't find snap peas, you could use steamed and shelled edamame instead.

Here's the easiest and I think, the best way to get the pomegranate seeds out of a pomegranate:

• Cut the pomegranate in half, down the middle
• Place a large bowl to catch the seeds in the sink (helps prevent pomegranate juice from getting everywhere)
• Hold one half of the pomegranate, seeds down, in your palm
• With a wooden spoon, whack the back of the pomegranate as you hold it over the bowl in the sink
• The seeds will fall out between your fingers, right into the bowl!
• Between whacks, check to see if there are areas of the pomegranate that aren't letting up the seeds and whack in the spot accordingly😄

Keyword sweet potato salad