Lentil Sweet Potato Salad

Lentils and sweet potatoes, married by a Mediterranean-tasting cumin and paprika dressing, are an excellent flavor match.

Inspired by our Moroccan carrot salad, sweet potato lentil salad will impress for its simplicity and bold taste.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature, like our lentil quinoa salad.

The recipe combines tender and slightly caramelized chunks of sweet potatoes with nutritious lentils.

The parsley adds freshness, and the mustard dressing, tossed when the sweet potatoes are still warm, will infuse the salad with a beautiful Mediterranean and North African aroma of garlic, lemon, and cumin.

You guys seem to love our lentil salad recipes, especially our classic lentil salad, lentil cauliflower salad, and refreshing lentil tabbouleh.

This makes us very happy since lentils are a massive part of our diet, and we love cooking with them.

If you are curious to learn more about lentils, check out our guide on how to cook lentils, which includes 23+ delicious and easy lentil recipes.

Finally, crumble some feta cheese or non-dairy feta to make this dish even tastier.

Its creamy texture and bold, savory taste meld perfectly with nutty lentils and naturally sweet spuds.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes come in white, purple, and orange. We recommend the classic orange sweet potatoes you can find in most supermarkets.

We chop peeled sweet potatoes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them in an air fryer or oven for about 20 minutes.

Cooked this way, they become caramelized and slightly smokey, and their tender texture soaks up the flavor and aroma of the cumin dressing.

Lentils

You can use canned lentils or dry lentils that you previously cooked in water for 15 to 30 minutes.

Here’s our guide on how to cook lentils if you are interested.

Brown lentils, green lentils, black lentils, and French Puy Lentils are best for this recipe because they have more bite than, for example, red lentils and keep their shape when we toss them in the salad.

Parsley

Try to find fresh flat-leaf parsley to give this salad a fresh Mediterranean taste.

Feta cheese

Feta is optional, and the salad tastes delicious without it. You can keep the feta out and add some nuts if you are vegan.

You can also substitute non-dairy feta for regular feta.

Pistachio nuts (optional)

Pistachio nuts are optional.

We add them for three reasons:

1) we love their taste with the cumin and sweet potatoes;

2) they add some crunch to the salad;

3) their light pistachio green looks beautiful with the bright orange roasted potatoes.

You can replace pistachios with shaved or slivered almonds, toasted pine nuts, or crushed walnuts.

Mustard Dressing

Olive oil

If you can, use extra virgin olive oil for a richer and more aromatic taste. It also contains more antioxidants than most other oils, which is excellent for your health.

Alternatively, you can substitute regular olive oil for the extra virgin one.

Lemon juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds freshness and acidity to the salad, which helps boost the flavor of the other ingredients.

You can substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for the lemon juice.

Mustard

Mustard helps the dressing emulsify and stick to the vegetables, making them super flavorful.

Garlic

You can use finely minced garlic or garlic powder.

Cumin

We can’t describe in writing how well ground cumin goes with the roasted sweet potatoes and the lentils.

Ground cumin can be found in most supermarkets, or you can buy cumin seeds and grind them yourself with a mortar and pestle.

Paprika

Sweet paprika is best for the dressing.

Salt and Pepper

Use sea salt or kosher salt to add taste and freshly ground black pepper for a spicy aroma.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Roast the sweet potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces, transfer them onto the baking tray, and toss with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Arrange on a single layer and roast for about 20-25 minutes or until fork tender and slightly caramelized.

To cook them in the air fryer, add the sweet potato cubes to a bowl, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then transfer to the air fryer basket. The cubes CAN overlap.

Air fry at 400°F or 200°C for about 15 to 18 minutes or until tender and caramelized.

To ensure even cooking, shake the air fryer basket every 4 minutes.

Make the dressing

While the sweet potatoes cook, make the dressing by whisking together extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, American or Dijon mustard, grated garlic, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper.

Mix salad

To a large mixing bowl, add the roasted sweet potatoes – ideally still warm, so they soak up the dressing – canned or cooked lentils, chopped parsley, and the dressing.

Toss well, then transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with toasted pistachios and fresh parsley.

Optionally, add crumbled Greek feta cheese or non-dairy feta on top.

Lentil and sweet potato salad is wholesome, tasty, and, most importantly, very fulfilling, so we recommend it as a nutritious lunch or healthy dinner with some pita bread or couscous.

It’s great with a yogurt tahini sauce, tzatziki, or a spread like hummus or muhammara.

You can pair it with a light tofu dish for extra protein. You’ll love it with baked tofu, marinated tofu, fried tofu, and air-fried tofu.

Or take your pick from this list of easy plant-based dinners.

Quinoa lentil salad

Quinoa lentil salad is an easy, tasty, and protein-rich recipe for a quick lunch, side dish, or healthy dinner.

Here’s our quinoa lentil salad recipe.

Moroccan carrot salad

It’s a warm salad with a delicious cumin dressing. Excellent with couscous or pita bread.

Here’s our Moroccan carrot salad recipe.

Sweet potato salad

If you are into sweet potatoes, you will love this arugula, avocado, and sweet potato salad.

Here’s our sweet potato salad recipe.

Make ahead: Lentil sweet potato salad is excellent for meal prep as it keeps well for a few days. The veggies and the dressing have time to meld and grow together into a harmonious dish.

Refrigerator: Store leftover lentils and sweet potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

We recommend taking the salad out of the fridge about 15 minutes before eating it to allow the ingredients to reach room temperature and be more flavorful.

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing.

• Chickpea salad
• Broccoli salad
• Black bean salad
• Creamy pasta salad
• Carrot salad
• Greek chickpea salad
• Lentil salad
• Couscous salad

Or have a peek at our curated list of 45 best salad recipes.

Salads

Chickpea Salad

Salads

Black Bean Salad

30-Min Meals

Lentil Salad

Pasta

Creamy Pasta Salad

• Mujadara
• Lentil vegetable soup
• Moroccan lentil soup
• Lentil loaf
• Lentil curry
• Lentil bolognese

Or check out our compilation with 20+ lentil recipes.

Mains

Mujadara (Lentils and Rice)

Soups

Moroccan Lentil Soup

Soups

Lentil Curry

Pasta

Lentil Bolognese