This blueberry sweet potato greens and grains bowl is grain salad that you’ll love having over and over again! Made with greens, blueberries, sweet potato, quinoa, almonds, feta cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette, it packs lots of great nutrition and flavor.
You know when you find a salad combination that you just want for lunch again and again? This blueberry sweet potato greens and grains bowl is exactly that for me and I’m excited to share the super simple and delicious recipe with you!
This is no skimpy sad salad. It’s a balanced bowl with blueberries, sweet potato, quinoa, greens, almonds, feta and a balsamic vinaigrette. It’s sweet, savory, and crunchy all at the same time making it super satisfying and delicious for lunch or dinner.
The fresh blueberries and roasted sweet potatoes complement each other perfectly in this grain bowl that’s perfect for meal prep or anytime you need a new healthy meal idea to switch things up. If you’re burnt out on the same type of salad you typically make week after week, this is a great one to add to your repertoire!
Tangy balsamic vinaigrette ties all of the flavors together so well and you could definitely add chicken or salmon to this salad to give this salad more protein too.
Love all things blueberries? Be sure to check out this post with some of my favorite ways to use blueberries all summer long.
Ingredients for Blueberry Sweet Potato Greens & Grains Bowl
salad:
- fresh blueberries
- sweet potato
- tri-color or white quinoa
- greens (arugula, baby kale, or a mix of a few different crunchy varieties would all work great in this salad)
- raw almonds
- feta cheese (goat cheese or parmesan would also work well)
balsamic vinaigrette:
- extra-virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- honey
- dijon mustard
- garlic
- salt and pepper
equipment / utensils:
- mixing bowls
- cutting boards
Tips for Making a Really Great Salad
Say goodbye to sad salad with this simple tips to make any salad more flavorful and satisfying.
- Use two types of greens — this gives the salad more “lift” and crunch.
- Salt your greens — before topping your greens with all of the other salad ingredients, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on to the clean greens, salt and toss together. Salt really brings out the flavor of the greens. Nearly all salads at restaurants add salt to the greens!
- Cook grains in broth instead of water — if making a grain bowl like this one, cook your grains using chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. This gets you more flavorful grains!
- Add crunchy toppers — the key to making any salad more satisfying and enjoyable to eat is having something crunchy on top. Think nuts or seeds or hard cheese. They’re also a great way to add more nutrition to any salad.
- Chop ingredients in the same way – If you’re adding tomatoes, dice all the tomatoes the same way. If you’re adding sweet potatoes like in this bowl, cube them all the same way. All of the ingredients certainly don’t need to be cut the same, but make sure the group of one ingredients (all tomatoes) are cut in the same way.
- Toss ingredients and dressing together well — to ensure dressing gets on every single bit of salad, make sure you toss everything together really well before serving.
Nutrition Benefits
Every ingredient in this bowl is adding lots of flavor and nutrition — win, win.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin A, which we know is super important for eye health and our immune system. They’re also a good source of fiber — something must of us don’t get enough of in our diets!
Blueberries are also a good source of fiber and vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant needed for optimal immune function as well.
Almonds give this bowl a really nice crunch, plus they’re packed with healthy monounsaturated fat and vitamin E.
And we can’t forget that bed of greens! Dark leafy greens are packed with vitamins and minerals in addition to antioxidants that help protect against inflammation.
Check out this video for how I prepared the salad and if you’re not already, follow me on Instagram @onceuponapumpkin!
Blueberry Sweet Potato Greens & Grains Bowl
Ingredients
salad:
- 2 cups salad greens I like to combine two different types in my salads for more texture and “lift”
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes sliced into thin wedges
- 1 tbsp. avocado oil
- 1 cup fresh blueberries rinsed and dried
- 1/4 cup almonds roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
balsamic vinaigrette:
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
salad:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut sweet potatoes into thin wedges. Toss with 1 tbsp. of avocado oil plus salt and pepper. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes until they are tender.
- Meanwhile cook quinoa according to package directions using water or broth for more flavorful quinoa.
- Add greens to a bowl along with cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, blueberries, almonds, and feta.
- In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing until well combined. Drizzle over the salad and enjoy!
This salad was created in partnership with the U.S. HighBush Blueberry Council in 2020.
